Aug 06, Trincomalee: The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) Sunday arrested 37 Chinese nationals and two Sri Lankans onboard two fishing trawlers who were illegally fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

A Fast Naval Craft (FAC) attached to the Eastern Naval Command of Sri Lanka Navy intercepted the two multi-day fishing trawlers and arrested the occupants for illegal fishing in the sea off Arugam Bay.

The trawlers, one with 18 Chinese nationals and one Sri Lankan and the other with 19 Chinese nationals and one Sri Lankan were escorted to the Trincomalee Harbor.

The Navy handed over the fishermen to the Trincomalee Harbor Police for further investigations.

According to the Navy, the two trawlers are registered with the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources with permission to engage in fishing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Sri Lanka under a BOI project.

However, they are allowed to engage in fishing 200 nautical miles off the country's coast and the arrested fishermen were fishing in the sea about 15 miles east of Batticaloa, the Navy said.