Navy nab another 109 Australia bound illegals
Another 109 Australia bound illegal migrants were arrested by the Navy in the seas off Kalkudah on Saturday.
The Navy’s fast patrol craft intercepted the fishing trawler named Sewwandi Duwa, which was carrying the illegal migrants, 25 nautical miles of Kalkudah, making it the third such arrest in the Eastern waters within five days.
“There were 109 civilians comprising 101 Tamils and 8 Sinhalese aboard the multi-day fishing trawler,” Sri Lanka Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya told The Island yesterday.
The migrants, who had boarded the boat at Kalkuddah, were from Chilaw, Kalpitiya and Talawakelle. They were arrested and taken to the Navy camp at Trincomalee on Saturday and were to be handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department yesterday for questioning.
Preliminary investigations had revealed that there was a large quantity of rations as well as well as personal belongings stacked inside the boat.
BY RAVI LADDUWAHETTY
