Lankan fishermen arrested by Myanmar repatriated
A group of fishermen who had been arrested by the Myanmar Coast Guard were repatriated to Sri Lanka. They arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake yesterday.
The group consisted of 15 Lankan fishermen who were held captive in Myanmar prions.
At the airport the fishermen were arrested by airport officers of the human trafficking, smuggling investigation and maritime crime investigation division.
They were identified as residents of Katuneriya, Maravilla, Uswetakeiyawa, and Kurunegala areas and were aged between 18-50 years.
According to airport sources, seven of the group of fifteen had gone to sea for fishing on October 23, 2023 from the Wennappuwa area.
The other eight fishermen had gone to sea from Kalpitiya, Puttalam on November 7, 2023.
Their vessels had faced technical issues mid sea and had been drifting on the sea, when they were arrested by the Myanmar Coast Guard.
The fishermen were repatriated from Myanmar on Thai Airlines flight TG307. As the fishermen had not gone abroad through a recognised airport or a sea port they were charged for not leaving the country through a recognised port and were produced at the Negombo Magistrate's Courts and released on bail.