A total of six individuals have been apprehended by the Sri Lanka Navy for illegal night diving to harvest sea cucumbers during a search operation conducted at the Nagar Kovil beach in Jaffna.
The operation was conducted by the Naval Deployment Veththalakerni, under the Northern Naval Command, after intercepting two suspicious dinghies approaching the shore, the Navy said in a statement. Upon inspection, naval personnel discovered 939 sea cucumbers illegally harvested through prohibited night diving methods. Along with the catch, the Navy seized 02 dinghies and a set of diving gear used for the illicit activity.
The apprehended suspects, aged between 23 and 37, were identified as residents of Mannar and Vellvettiturai.
Following the apprehension, the suspects, the stock of sea cucumbers, the dinghies and the diving equipment were handed over to the Jaffna Fisheries Inspector for further legal proceedings.
