Navy to hand over two fishing trawlers to India

The Sri Lanka Navy has made arrangements to hand over two Indian fishing trawlers which were apprehended while poaching in Sri Lankan waters, to the Indian authorities.

The Sri Lanka Navy's patrol craft had detected two suspicious vessels in the seas off Mullaitivu on August 9 around 9.30 a.m. Vigilant naval personnel had carried out a thorough search on suspicion and had found two GPSs (Global Positioning Systems), two echo sounders and two mobile phones on board.

The two Indian fishing trawlers bearing the registration numbers TN/06/MFB/44 and TN/06/MFB/886 had a five-member Indian fishermen crew in each vessel.

The Sri Lanka Navy, as a gesture of goodwill, has made arrangements with the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, to repatriate the 10 Indian fishermen along with the two vessels, the Navy said.