Coast Guard nabs 5 Sri Lankans

By S.Dorairaj

TUTICORIN, SEPT. 15. Five Sri Lankans who entered Indian waters with ``doubtful intentions'' were apprehended and their `fishing boat' was seized by Coast Guard off the Tiruchendur coast on Friday.

A joint interrogation by the Customs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the Intelligence Bureau, the district administration and Coast Guard would throw light on the real intentions of the crew, the Deputy Commandant, Tuticorin Coast Guard station, Mr. A. P. Badola, told presspersons here today.

The crew of the boat, ``Betheleham'', belonged to Talavilai on the island. All of them - Joseph Alocs Fernando (43), Ranjit Rangan (45), W. Antony Fernando (48), Patrik Perera (40) and Ravi Fernando (43) - were charged under section 15 (C) of the Maritime Zone of India Act, 1981 (failing to produce documents) and Section 3(2) of the Indian Passport Act, 1920 (entry into India without passport). They were handed over to the Thermal Nagar police here.

The Coast Guard ship, Ahalyabai, on a patrol mission in the Gulf of Mannar, located the boat but it started fleeing. Had not the Coast Guard vessel speeded up and stopped it, the boat would have quietly reached the Indian shores in six hours, said Deputy Commandant Badola.

Unlike as in earlier instances, in which Sri Lankan fishing boats entered the Indian exclusive economic zone only up to 7 nautical miles due to some `navigational error', this time the boat entered very deep - 18 nautical miles- into the Indian waters, said Deputy Commandant Donny Michael.

The boat was `rudimentary' while the fishing vessels captured earlier were well-equipped and bigger in size. Though the crew claimed that they had left Sri Lanka on Thursday on a fishing mission, the boat had `nil catch'. The possibility of their indulging in `nefarious' activities could not be ruled out, said Deputy Commandant Michael.

Nor was there any navigational or communication equipment barring a magnetic compass, Deputy Commandant Badola said. This only showed that the crew might be familiar with the location. Sri Lankans arrested by Coast Guard off the Tiruchendur coast on Friday.

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