Alleged asylum seekers released on bail

The Colombo Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli while remanding seven suspects until June 8 for alleged human trafficking, released 113 alleged asylum seekers on personal bail of Rs 200,000 with two sureties on each of them.

The Colombo Fraud Bureau producing the suspects before the Magistrate submitted they were arrested on Monday whilst attempting to travel to Australia. The police said each of the asylum seekers had paid Rs. 280,000 to the smugglers to facilitate them to go to Australia.

The police said each of the asylum seekers had paid Rs. 280,000 to the smugglers to facilitate them to go to Australia

The Chilaw based racketeers with international connections had stationed the trawler in which the suspects were to travel in the Trincomlee harbour, the Police informed the Magistrate. The police took into custody the vehicles in which the suspects travelled and arrested seven facilitators who arranged the human trafficking with several millions of local currency in their possession at the time of the arrest.