Sri Lankan Navy arrests 11 Karaikal fishermen

Eleven fishermen from Karaikal were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Friday (January 2, 2026) for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while fishing near the southeast of Kodiyakkarai.

According to official sources, the fishermen had ventured into the sea from the Karaikal fishing harbour on December 29. Their mechanised fishing vessel was reportedly surrounded by Sri Lankan Navy personnel in the early hours of Friday near Mullaitheevu, following which all 11 fishermen were detained and the boat was seized.

The fishermen were later taken to the Sri Lankan Navy camp at Kankesanthurai for further inquiry. The arrested fishermen have been identified as Rasaikannu Raja, 39, the owner and driver of the fishing vessel; J. Ranjith, 18; C. Nagaraj, 35; S. Kannan, 58; M. Anjappan, 34; P. Rajendran, 39; S. Thangavel, 34; R. Renganathan, 37; V. Subramaniam, 50; M. Pakkirisami, 43; and M. Muthukumar, 51, all of whom hail from Karaikal.