THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 61 fishermen, who went fishing from Vizhinjam, have been arrested in Seychelles, an African island, for violating maritime boundaries. The group consists of two Malayalees, five Assamese and several Tamilians. The Malayali fishermen in the group have been identified as Vizhinjam native Johnny and Thomas.

The group went fishing in five boats on February 22. However, they were arrested in Seychelles on March 12 for violating maritime boundaries. All five of their boats have been seized. Fisheries and coastal protection laws are strong in Seychelles. Therefore, the group is waiting for immediate high-level intervention as they may get caught up in legal proceedings and face major crises. The World Malayalee Federation has provided emergency assistance to the workers.