The three seized Sri Lankan vessels and (right) fishermen arrested by the coast guard in Paradip. Telegraph pictures

Paradip, July 26: The coast guard personnel today took 13 Sri Lankan fishermen into custody for unlawful intrusion into India’s territorial waters.

Three motorised vessels, with the foreign nationals on board, were intercepted about 160 nautical miles off Paradip coast. The people arrested were taken into custody, as they were not carrying mandatory permits to venture into India’s coastal territory.

“Sarang, the coast guard ship on sea patrol, spotted movement of three vessels about 160 nautical miles off Paradip coast. The coast guard personnel kept close watch on the vessels, as their movement was allegedly suspicious. Later, the coast guard ship trailed the Sri Lankan vessels — Muttukumari, J.P. Marine 1, and J.P. Marine 2 — and intercepted those in mid-sea. The Sri Lankan crew members gave away and did not offer any form of resistance,” said K. P. S. Raghuvanshi, deputy inspector-general of coast guard, Paradip.

“The operation lasted for over four hours. The people arrested are all Sri Lankan fishermen. After their vessels were intercepted, they failed to produce the international maritime fishing permit for undertaking voyage in an alien country’s sea territory. So, our personnel took them into custody,” Raghuvanshi said.

The Sri Lankans booked under Maritime Zone Act of India were later subjected to a joint interrogation held by Coast Guard and state marine police.

The impounded fishing vessels were brought under security check and antecedents of the arrested fishermen were crosschecked. It was investigated to ensure the foreign nationals did not hatch subversive ploy detrimental to country’s security. It was, however, found that the arrested foreign nationals did not pose anby threat to India’s security. Apart from fishing nets, fishingimplements and their passports, nothing incriminating and unlawful was found from them, said sources in the Coast Guard.