Sri Lanka's navy seized two Indian trawlers and apprehended 23 Indian nationals poaching in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka, off the Delft Island in Jaffna, the navy said in a press release on Sunday.

The arrests were made during an operation on Saturday night to drive away a group of Indian fishing vessels poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the navy said.

The arrested fishermen and the seized trawlers were brought to the Kankasanthurai Harbor on Sunday, and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal action, the navy said.

The navy said that they conduct regular patrols in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices by foreign trawlers, taking into account the consequences of these practices on the livelihood of local fishermen and the marine resources of the South Asian country.

The Sri Lankan navy arrested 343 people engaged in illegal activities and confiscated thousands of kg of contraband in 2023.

(With UNI inputs