During operations conducted in the dark hours of Wednesday (18), the Navy and the Coast Guard seized four Indian fishing boats and apprehended 22 Indian fishermen, while they were poaching in the Sri Lankan waters north of Mannar and off the Delft Island, Jaffna. 

The North Central and Northern Naval Commands spotted a group of Indian fishing boats engaging in illegal fishing, trespassing into Sri Lankan waters. In response, both Naval Commands had deployed its Naval craft to drive away those Indian fishing boats from the island waters north of Mannar and off the Delft Island. 

Meanwhile, compliant boarding made by Naval personnel resulted in the seizure of four Indian fishing boats and the apprehension of 22 Indian fishermen who continued to engage in illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters. 

The two fishing boats along with the 10 fishermen held in Mannar were handed over to the Mannar Fisheries Inspector and the remaining two fishing boats intercepted off the Delft Island, together with 12 Indian fishermen were handed over to the Myliddy Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.