Tri-forces, Police to spearhead move:

Joint push to bust illegal migration

*Three-pronged approach devised

*Over 200 human traffickers arrested since January

Yasaratne GAMAGE

The Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police along with other agencies have come up with new strategies to curb human trafficking and illegal migration, that have assumed serious proportions in recent times.

With many persons attempting to illegally migrate to other countries by crossing seas at great risk to their lives, the combination of Tri forces and police together with other agencies to halt this move is seen as a bold and efficient measure to curb illegal migration.

Army media spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya

Since January 9, 2012 to date more than 200 suspects and 16 facilitators in connection with human trafficking have been arrested in the country.

Apart from that, several boats with Sri Lankans on board were apprehended by Australian, security officials while sailing illegally to Australia in their waters.

The Army media spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya commenting on the issue said that they have set up a three tiered action plan to prevent illegal migration and human trafficking which are against the national laws. The first step under the title Ground Action will prevent would be illegal migrants from organizing such activities on the ground. This will involve long term surveillance and intelligence collection at grass root level as a collective action by the Army troops deployed on the ground with the support of intelligence arms of the three forces, police and other relevant agencies.

Many such attempts have been thwarted at early stage on ground. Since the details of the operations are with national intelligence Brigadier Wanigasuriya refrained from giving further details. The second arm of the war against traffickers would be beach surveillance. This is to prevent any organized body of such personnel from boarding boats or other vessels . Continuous monitoring of all harbours, fishing harbours and surveillance along the coastal belt by the three services and police naval units will be carried out round the clock .

The significance of this type of action is better understood when one considers the several instances where persons attempting board vessels to set sail illegally to other countries were apprehended. The pathway or the common route for human smuggling has been the sea. Naval patrolling of territorial waters which is in operation during 24 hours with the support of Air Force surveillance aircrafts would be the third step. The navy has been instrumental in capturing many boats with illegal migrants in the recent past.

Authorities expect that this new action plan spearheaded by the tri-forces in coordination with other agencies including ILO, Immigration and Emigration Department, Foreign Employment Bureau, Bandaranaike International Airport security unit will put an end to illlegal human migration that is blots the image of the country