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Sri Lanka arrests another 17 Bangladeshis headed for Italy

COLOMBO, Sunday (AFP)

Sri Lankan police arrested another 17 Bangladeshis for overstaying their visas amid suspicion they were part of a larger group planning to travel to Italy illegally, a police officer said Sunday.

The men were taken into custody in an overnight raid on a lodge at Mount Lavinia, a coastal suburb of Colombo, two days after 61 Bangladeshi men were arrested, the official said.

"We have reason to believe that they had come here trying to leave illegally in boats and go to Italy," the police officer said. He said authorities were investigating to see if there were any links between the two groups, adding they suspected people-smugglers were responsible.

Sri Lanka has been a frequent staging ground for fishing trawlers packed with young men who pay up to 3,000 dollars to reach better lives in Europe, Japan or Australia.

The boats are often detected on the sea or turned back when they reach their final destination.

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