Sri Lankan Navy arrests nine fishermen from Mayiladuthurai

Nine fishermen from Mayiladuthurai district were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday (January 3, 2026) morning while fishing near Kodiyakkarai off the Nagapattinam coast.

According to official sources, the fishermen had been staying near Kodiyakkarai for the past two months for fishing activities and ventured into the sea on Friday (January 2) afternoon. They were intercepted by the Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday morning on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Two mechanised fishing boats were seized.

The arrested fishermen were identified as Vadamalai Anburaj, 30, the boat driver; Kaliyaperumal Kumar, 35; Ponnukutty Regan, 19; Manokaran Kowshik, 26; and Kaliyaperumal Ponnukutty, 45. They were all travelling in one boat.

The second boat was manned by Kasi Thangarasu, 45; Thangarasu Mathan, 21; Kasiraja Selvaraj, 48; and Kannayi Ramalingam, 50.

All nine hail from Mayiladuthurai district.

The fishermen, along with the seized boats, were taken to the Kankesanthurai naval base for further inquiry, sources said.

It may be noted that the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 11 fishermen from Karaikal on Friday for allegedly crossing the IMBL while fishing near southeast of Kodiyakkarai.