In Ramanathapuram, the Indian Coast Guard apprehended eight Sri Lankan fishermen and impounded four fibre boats in the early hours of October 24, 2023. The detainees, hailing from Sri Lanka’s Puttalam district, claimed strong winds forced their boats into Indian territorial waters. The Indian Coast Guard handed them over to the Mandapam Marine police for interrogation. Simultaneously, four residents of Mandapam were detained for carrying 500 kg of turmeric and sea-cucumber in a country boat. Authorities, including Q Branch officers, are conducting thorough inquiries to ascertain the circumstances, and Customs unit officers are exploring potential connections to a prior gold seizure in the region.