India to repatriate 142 Myanmarese from Andaman

Port Blair, Nov 3: Andaman and Nicobar Commander of Coast Guard Inspector General S P Sharma here today announced to repatriate about 142 Myanmarese poachers, who have already served their terms in Andaman jail.

He told UNI here that the repatriation would be done by mid of November this year.

These poachers apprehended by the Coast Guard and Andaman and Nicobar Police are presently living in poachers' camp in the territory.

IG Sharma also said the officials from Myanmarese Embassy in Mainland India would visit these islands to confirm the nationality of these poachers before repatriation.

The Coast Guard ship would sail from here with these 142 poachers and handover them to Myanmar government, Sharma added.

More than hundred Myanmarese poachers are still serving their sentences in Andaman Jail.

Recently these poachers had staged demonstrations, through hunger strikes, demanding freedom, sources said.

This Union territory had always been a target of these poachers from South Asian neighboring countries who come here to poach sea- cucumber, shark and other costly marine resources.

UNI