Suspect remanded on charges of illegally smuggling women to Oman and other countries

A local travel agent involved in trafficking people to Oman and several other countries was nabbed at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) yesterday on return to the country.

The arrest was made by immigration officers at the airport as the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLFEB) had obtained a court order from the Negombo Magistrate.

The Police said the suspect identified as Mohomad Riswi had illegally trafficked women to Oman and other countries.

It was alleged the suspect posed as an official of the Labour and Foreign Employment Ministry to carry out his illegal activities.

The Police said the suspect had sent women abroad on visit visas and they were engaged in work illegally. The suspect who was held at the airport by Police was handed over to the Foreign Employment Bureau yesterday.

FEB Sources said the suspect was under their custody and was produced in the Negombo Magistrate courts after recording his statement yesterday. The suspect was then remanded until November 24.

The sources said the suspect ran a travel agency in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The suspect’s father too had a travel agency but due to irregularities in the agency it was shut down three months ago by the FEB.

The sources said they believed the suspect started his illegal activities after the closure of his father’s agency.

Meanwhile UAE Embassy officials and the Police had visited the location and found 17 Sri Lankans at the site. The Embassy officials had inquired and recorded statements from the Sri Lankans.

The Sri Lankans had said they had no issues or complaints. However they noted that on November 15 others had left for Oman despite the Embassy’s instructions to follow proper legal and immigration procedures.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told Parliament that a special team had been appointed to find solutions for problems faced by Sri Lankans employed in Oman and other countries.

He said they had considered the problems faced by Sri Lankan employees abroad as national issues and would take action.

He added that issues faced by them should be resolved by amending the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment act.

He also said foreign embassies should be more active to resolve the issues faced by Sri Lankan workers abroad.