CHENNAI: As many as 28 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were arrested for crossing the marine border by the Sri Lankan government were returned to Chennai.

The 18 fishermen from Ramanathapuram went fishing in the sea in January. On 18 January while they were fishing in the middle of the sea the Sri Lankan Coast Guard surrounded the fishermen for crossing the border and seized their boats. All of them were arrested and they were remanded and sent to prison.

Following that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin requested the Central government to take immediate action to release the fishermen.

Later on January 31, the fishermen were released with the help of the Indian embassy and they were handed to the Indian officials.

The officials arranged the travel documents for the fishermen and all 18 of them reached the Chennai airport on Tuesday early morning in the Air India flight which arrived from Sri Lanka.

The officials from the fisheries department welcomed the fishermen and arranged transport for their native villages.

Meanwhile, on Monday evening the 10 Nagapattinam fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lankan Army on January 13 were released and they reached the Chennai airport. The government officials welcomed them and arranged transport for their native villages.