Annamalai urges Centre to facilitate 'safe repatriation' of 12 Tamil fishermen from Maldives

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 27 (ANI): Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Friday wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to secure the release of twelve fishermen of the state arrested by the Maldivian authorities allegedly for straying into their territorial waters.
The men hailing from Tharuvaikulam in southern Thoothukudi district were fishing in the southern Arabian Sea.
"We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support in standing by our Tamil fishermen during the challenging times and prioritising their safety in the High Seas. We bring to your attention the arrest of 12 fishermen from Tuticorin by the Maldivian Coast Guards on the 27th of October, 2023. We kindly request your intervention to facilitate the safe and swift repatriation of these 12 arrested Tamil fishermen," Annamalai wrote in his letter to Jaishankar.
The fishermen were arrested by the Maldivian Navy on Friday.
Maldivian Navy claimed that the fishermen trespassed into Maldivian waters, arrested all 12 of them and seized the barge.
In this regard, information was given to the fishing village of Daruwaikulam by the Maldivian Navy.
Following this, the Barge Owners Association and their relatives have demanded that the Central and State Governments take immediate action to rescue the fishermen arrested by the Maldivian Navy. (ANI)