Asif Hassan—AFP
Police say maritime authorities also seized 11 boats.
Marine forces on Thursday arrested 58 Indian fishermen for allegedly violating territorial waters in the Arabian Sea, police said.
“The Maritime Security Agency arrested 58 Indian fishermen,” said senior police officer Shiraz Nazir, adding that the authorities also seized 11 boats. “They [Indian fishermen] have been handed over to police,” he said.
The agency had arrested 61 Indian fishermen for allegedly violating territorial waters in November. Such arrests are frequently carried out by both countries, as the maritime border in the Arabian Sea is poorly defined and many fishing boats lack the technology needed to be certain of their precise location.
The fishermen often languish in jail even after serving prison terms, as poor diplomatic ties between the two neighbors mean fulfilling official requirements can take a long time.
Relations between the countries have taken a turn for the worse in recent months, with some of the worst shelling in years on the disputed border in Kashmir.