TOP RANKING INDIAN OFFICIALS SANS VISAS NABBED

Officials of the Investigation Unit of the Department of Immigration and Emigration responding to a complaint raided the soft drinks manufacturing plant in Ranala and took three officials of the senior management, Indian nationals, into custody.

When their visas were examined it transpired that the resident visas of these officials had expired for a period of between one month to six months and that they had failed to renew it to remain in the country. A senior Immigration official told Daily Mirror one of those arrested was a top ranking official of the management who had been working for the reputed beverage giant for several years. He had been employed here and was in the country along with his wife and child and had renewed his resident visa (work permit) annually but had failed to do so this time. He and his family along with the two other managerial level officials had been asked to return to their home country with immediate effect by the Immigration authorities.

As a result, the noticed officials had booked immediate flights to India and were supposed to return home last night, the sources said.

The sources further said that a number of foreign expatriate workers in various grades presently serve in many investment projects and multinational companies in Sri Lanka using resident visas but some fail to renew their visas.

Deputy Commissioner Investigation Unit M

G V Kariyawasam and Assistant Commissioner Prasanna Kumara and the team are conducting further investigations on the instructions of Acting Immigration and Emigration Controller General Pasan Ratnayake and Controller Border and visa Chaminda Hettiarachchi.

The Immigration officials request the public to share information on foreigners who violate their visa conditions to the department’s Hotline 0115749999 or write to their email acinvestigation@ immigration.gov.lk