Eleven fishermen from Karaikal were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Friday, January 2, 2026. They were accused of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while fishing near the southeast of Kodiyakkarai. The fishermen left Karaikal fishing harbour on December 29. Early on Friday, near Mullaitheevu, their mechanised fishing vessel was surrounded by Sri Lankan Navy personnel. All eleven fishermen were detained, and the boat was seized. The fishermen were taken to the Sri Lankan Navy camp at Kankesanthurai for further inquiry. The arrested fishermen are: Rasaikannu Raja, 39, the boat’s owner and driver; J. Ranjith, 18; C. Nagaraj, 35; S. Kannan, 58; M. Anjappan, 34; P. Rajendran, 39; S. Thangavel, 34; R. Renganathan, 37; V. Subramaniam, 50; M. Pakkirisami, 43; and M. Muthukumar, 51. All are from Karaikal.