Sri Lankan Navy arrests 14 Indian fishermen from Pamban for fishing across border

RAMESWARAM(Tamil Nadu) : The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 14 fishermen from the Pamban area for fishing across the border and took them to the Mannar Naval Base for investigation, according to the Rameswaram Fishermen Association.

The Sri Lankan Navy patrolling the area arrested the fishermen belonging to Salalanga and the 14 fishermen on board for fishing across the border. They have been taken to the Mannar Naval Base for investigation.

Earlier on February 27, a group of 25 Indian fishermen who were sent back from Sri Lanka arrived at the Chennai International Airport.

Visuals showed the fishermen arriving at the Chennai Airport. The fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and were released from prison.

A total of 32 fishermen were arrested on February 23, and their boats were seized. On February 23, fishermen in 440 boats went to sea from Rameswaram. While they were fishing in the Palk Bay sea area, Sri Lankan marines came to the area in a patrol boat. They caught 5 boats and apprehended 32 fishermen claiming that they were fishing across the border.

On February 23, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed concern over the increase in the capture of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, urging the Centre to convene a Joint Working Group (JWG) to find a permanent solution to the issue.

Highlighting the recent arrest of 32 fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities, Stalin had written to the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and said that the JWG would ensure the secure release of all the arrested fishermen and their boats.

The Tamil Nadu CM pointed out that arrests of fishermen from the state are on the rise despite repeated requests to the Sri Lankan government to prevent these arrests. He apprised about the arrests of fishermen in eight separate incidents in 2025, saying that 119 fishermen and 16 boats have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. (ANI)