Sri Lanka arrests 7 more Indian fishermen, says navy

Colombo: Seven more Indian fishermen were arrested Friday for poaching in Sri Lankan waters Friday, the navy said. The latest arrests takes to 53 the total number of Indian fishermen taken into custody in Sri Lanka this week, Xinhua reported. The Sri Lanka Navy arrested 46 Indian fishermen Wednesday and seized 11 boats. [caption id=“attachment_1580591” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] A navy spokesman said six boats were seized off Delft Island in Sri Lanka’s north while the rest were seized in the sea off Thalaimannar, also in the same region. “The navy has handed them over to the fisheries department,” a spokesman said. The navy had arrested 82 Indian fishermen June 7 after they allegedly entered the island nation’s waters. They were ordered to be released by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a goodwill gesture ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. The continuing arrests of Indian fishermen has caused unrest in Tamil Nadu, which is separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow strip of sea. IANS