The apprehension occurred while more than 480 boats from Rameswaram were out at sea fishing in the Palkbay sea area between Appadeevu and Nedundeevu. The Sri Lankan Navy intercepted the fishermen and seized their vessels, causing distress among the Rameswaram fishing community.The apprehended fishermen were taken to the Kangesanturai naval base by the Sri Lankan Navy for further investigation, Devadass added.In a separate incident, family members of four fishermen who were arrested in Kuwait last year staged a protest in Ramanathapuram, demanding their release. The fishermen were implicated in a drug smuggling case filed in December 2023, but their families claim they were falsely accused.The arrested fishermen, identified as Sesu and Karthik from Tiruppalaikudi, Ramanathapuram district, Santhuru from the Morpannai area, and Vinodkumar from the Pasipattanam area, have been detained since December 5, 2023.Members of the Ramanathapuram District Maritime Workers Union also held a demonstration in front of the district collectors office, urging the immediate release of the fishermen from their trial in the Kuwaiti jail.Union members argued that the fishermen were wrongly included in the drug smuggling case as they had no connection to the person caught smuggling drugs on a boat. The union emphasised that over 500 people from Tirupalaikudi, Morpannai, and Pasipattinam fishing villages supported the demand for the fishermens release.
