Sri Lanka Navy apprehended a local multi-day fishing trawler carrying 85 individuals, suspected to be a group on an illegal migration attempt to a foreign country via sea, during a patrol conducted off Batticaloa yesterday.
The Sri Lanka Navy Ship Ranawickrama attached to the Eastern Naval Command made this interception having spotted a suspicious local multi-day fishing trawler, during a search off Batticaloa.
Subsequent search of the trawler, 85 individuals who were suspected to be on an illegal migration attempt to a foreign country via sea were nabbed. Among the apprehended individuals were; 60 males including the boat operators and 14 females who are over 18 years of age and 11 other individuals below 18 years of age. The Navy also seized the multi-day fishing trawler used for this illegal sea voyage.
The suspects were identified as residents of Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Muthur, Kilinochchi, Jaffna and Madu. The group of would-be illegal immigrants and the mult-iday fishing trawler is currently being brought to the Trincomalee Harbour and they will be handed over to the Trincomalee Harbour Police for legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, a search operation carried out in the Mohoththiwaram beach area by the Navy with Police STF led to the apprehension of five suspects and four dinghies which were suspected to have been used to transfer people to the multiday fishing trawler seized by SLNS Ranawickrama. Those suspects and their dinghies were handed over to the Kaththankudi Police for further action.
by Daily News Sri Lanka
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