Eleven Sri Lankan fishermen found illegally fishing in the waters off Mamallapuram coast were apprehended by the Indian Coast Guard on Monday.
The men and the two trawlers they came on were handed over to the city police.
Spotted by aircraft
Sources said that the Sri Lankan fishing boats were initially spotted by a Dornier aircraft of the Coast Guard and information in this regard was passed on to Coast Guard ship Sarang .
Speaking to The Hindu at the Kasimedu Fishing Harbour on Tuesday morning, where the fishermen were handed over to the police, Coast Guard (Eastern Region) Commandant Rajendra Nath said the fishermen were held 101 nautical miles off Mamallapuram.
“There were totally 11 men on the two boats with a catch of Tuna fishes weighing 5,500 kg. We found GPS equipment, High frequency radio communication sets and other navigation equipment from both the boats. There was no other suspicious item onboard,” he added.
The fishermen were handed over to the Harbour police who registered cases against them under Sections 3 and 7 of The Maritime Zones of India Act 1981.
They were produced at the Egmore Court, remanded to custody and sent to Puzhal prison on Tuesday evening.
Coast Guard has secured a total of 293 Sri Lankan fishermen on 62 fishing boats this year on charges of violating the Indian exclusive economic zones and fishing in Indian waters.
Last year, they had apprehended 511 Sri Lankan fishermen and seized 103 boats.
