Navy intercepts asylum seekers’ boat in Nilaweli
Despite large scale joint operation by the military, asylum seekers heading to Australia continues, and the Sri Lanka Navy intercepted the 11th boat to be taken into their custody with 53 persons in the seas off Nilaweli on Saturday night.
With this interception made by the Eastern Naval Command, the Navy this year had been able to prevent 11 boats with 590 asylum seekers heading to Australia.
It is known that the number of people heading to Australia had increased due to speculations that a new law targeting inward bound asylum seekers would be put in place in September.
With this interception made by the Eastern Naval Command, the Navy this year had been able to prevent 11 boats with 590 asylum seekers heading to Australia
All were males and seven among them were Sinhalese while five were Muslims and the rest of them were Tamils. The suspects were from Trincomalee, Negombo, Jaffna and Kilinochchi.
They were handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) after they were brought to the Trincomalee Port. Throughout the investigations conducted by the CID and the military, they had found out the money that was given to the human trafficking operators were given to them from groups within the Tamil Diaspora.
The Military has expanded intelligence services and intensified navy patrols in locations identified as ideal for the human trafficking as the armed forces were coordinating with the police to put an end to human trafficking. The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is also conducting surveillance and coordinating with the Navy to track down such movements.