The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has sought the intervention of the Indian central government to secure the release of 25 fishermen from Thoothukudi, who are being held by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Coast Guard.
According to a report by The Hindu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has sent a letter to India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, urging him to facilitate the release of the detained fishermen.
In the letter, the Chief Minister requested that diplomatic channels be utilised to negotiate with the Maldivian government to ensure the prompt release and repatriation of the fishermen and their vessels.
Regarding the incident, the MNDF has stated that three foreign fishing vessels found illegally operating within Maldivian waters were taken into custody. However, the military has not officially confirmed the nationality of the fishermen involved.
The vessels were intercepted during an operation nearly two weeks ago, approximately 170 nautical miles west of Ari Atoll.
Typically, foreign fishermen apprehended for illegally entering the Maldives' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are not detained for extended periods. The standard procedure for Maldivian authorities is to deport them.
However, as the MNDF has yet to provide further updates on this case, the current status and the course of action regarding the crew of the recently seized vessels remain unclear.
