Colachel Marine Police have arrested five persons from Kanniyakumari district and a Bangladesh national who set sail from Oman in a mechanised boat and reached Muttom fishing harbour on Saturday night for not possessing valid travel documents.
After starting their voyage from a harbour in Oman eight days ago, the fishermen had travelled more than 2,700 km to reach Muttom harbour only to be arrested by the police. They were identified as L. Stephen David, 52, G. Joseph Edwin, 40, M. Francis, 58, S. Aldo, 28, S. Sahaya Thatheyus, 46, all from Kanniyakumari district, and Mohamed Rajib, 27, from Bangladesh.
The Marine Police personnel said the fishermen, who were working in the mechanised boat of one Abdullah Kamish Ali of Jelan in Muscat for the past 14 months, were not reportedly paid their salary. When they took up the issue with the Indian Embassy in Oman no action was taken to ensure immediate disbursal of their salary arrears.
On coming to know about the complaint forwarded to the Indian Embassy, their employer started torturing them, which forced them to flee the Gulf country in the boat. Their passports are with Kamish Ali.
Since the fishermen had returned illegally along with a Bangladesh national, they were questioned by various agencies, including Q Branch and Intelligence Bureau, after which they were arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
