Navy arrests 40 persons for attempting to make illegal immigration

Sri Lanka Navy, during a recent patrol conducted on seas off Batticaloa and in a special operation in the beach area of Kalawanchikudi, Batticaloa, managed to apprehend 40 individuals who attempted to illegally migrate to a foreign country via sea routes.

A subsequent search of the fishing vessel led to the apprehension of a group of 19 who were believed to be on an illegal migration attempt to a foreign country and seizure of the local multiday fishing vessel used for the illegal act, the navy said in a statement.

In the meantime, SLNS Kashyapa together with Police STF and Special Bureau carried out another search operation at Dharmapuram and Puthukuduirippu in Kalawanchikudi, Batticaloa on the night of May 18, in connection to the aforementioned illegal migration attempt.

In this search operation, the raiding party managed to apprehend 21 more individuals in 02 dinghies at Dharmapuram and Puthukuduirippu beaches, waiting to join the seized multiday fishing vessel, with the intervention of human smugglers.

Among the apprehended individuals were; 17 males including 02 human smugglers and 04 females, aged between 20 to 44 years. The group of suspects held in Kalawanchikudi was handed over to the Kaththankudi Police for onward legal action.