18 local fishermen arrested whilst engaged in illegal fishing

Naval personnel attached to the Eastern Naval Command arrested 18 persons on the suspicion of illegal fishing on two occasions on 21st September 2015. Fifteen persons were taken into custody in the seas off Round-Island in Trincomalee with two FGDs, two purse-seine nets, two pair of diving fins and three diving masks. Three persons were arrested along with an FGD and a purse-seine net in the general area of Poduwakattu beach.

In addition, an FGD and a purse-seine net also were taken into custody in the Poduwakattu lagoon area.

The persons and the items arrested on the three separate occasions were handed over to Trincomalee harbour police and Kuchchaweli police for further investigations.