Twenty-four Sri Lankan fishermen have been arrested from the Bay of Bengal on charges of fishing illegally inside Bangladesh's maritime boundary in Chattogram, Bangladesh police said.

Four fishing trawlers have also been seized during the drive, they added.

The detainees were handed over to Patenga Police Station on Friday night, while a court in Chattogram sent them to jail yesterday, said police sources.

An official press release from Bangladesh Navy said members of "BNS Omar Faruk" during their patrolling in deep sea spotted four fishing trawlers carrying foreign nationals in Bangladesh water territory near the port on Tuesday night.

The navy intercepted the trawlers -- Sea Horse, Wasana-01, Wasana-03 and Sanju Putha-07 -- and informed the higher authorities.

Meanwhile, a press release of Chattogram Metropolitan Police stated that another ship of navy -- BNS Surovi -- brought the fisherman to the naval base in Patenga on Thursday.

Utpal Barua, officer-in-charge of Patenga Police Station, said, "Shafiqul Islam, an official of BNS Surovi, handed over the Sri Lankan fishermen to us on Friday evening, and filed a case against them for entering Bangladesh maritime border and catching fish illegally."

Sub-inspector Abu Sayed Rana of the police station is investigating the case, he said.

Md Kamruzzaman, additional deputy commissioner (prosecution) of CMP, said a metropolitan court sent them to jail after they were produced before it. (The Daily Star)