31 persons held by Navy for engaging in illegal acts
 

Sri Lanka Navy assisted to apprehend 31 persons engaged in illegal acts at various locations in the island during the past few days. These suspects were held for engaging in illegal fishing and destroying of mangrove environment.

Accordingly, Naval personnel attached to the North Western Naval Command apprehended sixteen persons (16) who engaged in illegal night diving without passes in Silawathura area on last 11th November.  Illegal catchment of Sea Cucumber 2579 in number, six dinghies and other fishing gears were also nabbed and they along with the suspects were handed over to the Assistant Director of Fisheries-Mannar for legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, a troop of Naval personnel attached to the North Central Naval Command apprehended 06 persons who engaged in night diving practices without passes in the Southbar area, on 13th Nov. There, 243kg of caught fish, two dinghies were also held. The suspects, dinghies and nabbed stock of fish were handed over to Assistant Director of Fisheries-Mannar for necessary legal action.

On information received to the Navy, Naval personnel attached to the Northern Naval Command in coordination with Police officials attached to the DIG Office-East, recovered a haul of high explosive (TNT/ C4) weighing 2kg and 196 g, hidden in a fishing net at a location close to the Gurunagar jetty area, on 14th November. The recovered haul of explosive was handed over to the Jaffna police for onward legal action.

Further on the same day (14th Nov.), a person who was cutting mangrove shrubs in Achchanakulam beach area, was apprehended by a Naval troop attached to the North Central Naval command. The apprehended person along with a knife and a dinghy was handed over to the Beat Forest Officer-Silawathura.

A troop of Naval personnel attached to the Eastern Naval Command apprehended 8 persons who engaged in illegal fishing with banned nets in the lagoon area of Batticaloa on 16th and 17th November. Four canoes, 10 banned nets and 30 kg of caught fish were also held and they were handed over to Assistant Director of Fisheries- Batticaloa for necessary legal action.