The Navy said a crew of four Sinhalese, 47 Sri Lankan Tamils and 2 Indian nationals onboard the overloaded multi-day fishing trawler were taken into custody and handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations. Sri Lankan Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel Samudura has spotted the migrant vessel loaded with a large stock of food items and personnel belongings of the passengers. The four crew members are suspected of running a people-smuggling ring, the police spokesman Superintendent of Police Ajith Rohana told media. The suspects have been produced before court and a magistrate has ordered them detained until a hearing on June 20. In recent weeks incidents of people-smuggling activities have seen a rise, according to the police spokesman. The police yesterday arrested 11 people preparing to illegally travel to Australia from Puttalam in the northwestern coast. According to local media reports a people smuggler had brought 9 people from Batticaloa and two from Mullaitivu to Puttalam. Last month Colombo Fraud Bureau has arrested 119 persons and 6 smugglers who were attempting to illegally sail to Australia in a fishing trawler.
No comments:
Post a Comment