Indian Coast Guard seizes 5 Sri Lankan fishing boats with 25 crewmen

Chennai, Feb 19 (IANS) The Indian Coast Guard on Tuesday said it had seized five Sri Lankan fishing boats which had a total of 25 crewmen.In a statement issued here, it said the Sri Lankan fishing boats were fishing illegally in the Indian waters when they were detected, about 90 km off Nagapattinam.A total of 4,200 kgs of tuna fish illegally caught from the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone was seized from them.All the apprehended boats were brought to Karaikal harbour for joint investigation by relevant security agencies, the Coast Guard said.In light of the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmit, maritime surveillance was heightened to foil any anti-national elements gaining access into Indian coastal areas and engaging in activities detrimental to national interests, the statement said.
--IANS vj/vd