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| Monday, 21 July 2003 |
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by Ranil Wijayapala The Kandy Police, who raided two hotels in Kandy yesterday arrested another 114 would be illegal immigrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh while they were awaiting the green light to board vessels bound for Europe. Kandy Headquarters Inspector Edmond Mahendra told the Daily News yesterday that they were arrested after raiding two lodges in Boowelikada last afternoon. With the arrest of these 114 people - 83 Indians, 22 Pakistanis and nine Bangladeshis, the number of would be illegal immigrants arrested by the Police within this month has climbed to 486. According to Kandy HQI these people had no proper visas or travel documents. They had been transported to Kandy by an Indian national and the Police are on the trail of this person who is supposed to be operating in Colombo. The Police believe that the people operating behind this illegal immigrant racket would have thought Kandy would be a safe area to lodge them until they received the green light for their journeys since Police were continuously arresting would be foreign illegal immigrants along the Southern coastal belt. The recent raids by the Police and the Navy uncovered that illegal immigrants from South Asian countries used the Tangalle, Dikwella areas as their transit point to board trawlers and other cargo vessels bound for Europe. Police, last week also arrested 159 would be illegal immigrants from the Tissamaharama area. Prior to that on July 1, in a combined operation carried out by the CID and the Navy 255 people waiting to go to Europe were arrested while boarding a Cargo vessel in sea off Tangalle. The CID is searching for three people who are believed to be behind this racket. It has also been revealed that these people mainly from the South Asian region are exploiting the flexible visa procedure followed by Sri Lanka to engage in illegal immigrant operations. |
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