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| Thursday, 3 July 2003 |
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COLOMBO, Wednesday, AFP, Sri Lanka launched a criminal investigation Wednesday into a people-smuggling racket following the arrest of 256 Pakistanis who tried to travel illegally to Italy, police said. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was probing the smuggling operation after the largest single arrest of foreigners who were trying to make Sri Lanka the main transit point in their illegal journey abroad, police said. A senior police officer said the Pakistanis had been flown to Sri Lanka from Karachi legitimately and then driven some 200 kilometres (125 miles) to the island's south to board a foreign-owned ship that was to take them abroad. Investigators were trying to trace the identity of the ship seized Tuesday by the Sri Lankan Navy following the arrest of the Pakistanis. Earlier, Sri Lankan fishermen were known to operate modified fishing trawlers to make a hazardous three-week journey to the Red Sea from where the would-be illegal immigrants were transferred to rogue ships. The larger vessels, mostly from former Soviet Republics, would carry the illegal immigrants to European shores. What were once operations solely to smuggle locals to Europe, Japan or Australia have now attracted nationals from neighbouring countries following the easing of entry visas to Sri Lanka, police said. Last month, police have arrested 12 Bangladeshi men allegedly trying to board a trawler that was to illegally take them to Italy. Sri Lankans trying to smuggle themselves off the island bound for Europe aboard fishing trawlers are often detained or turned back after reaching their destinations. The fees for ferrying people to Europe or Australia range from 150,000 to 300,000 rupees (1,550 to 3,125 USD) for a one-way trip aboard a trawler. |
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