Navy intercepts illegal migrants to Australia

The Sri Lanka Navy today, intercepted a multi-day trawler which had been illegally bound for Australia with 77 persons onboard in the seas 20 nautical miles off Thoduwawa.

The trawler ‘Nirshani, had been intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Western Naval Command.

The Navy said that 61 Tamils, 14 Sinhalese and 2 Muslims were among the arrested persons that included a woman and a child.

They are said to be residents of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Puttlam, Colombo, Udappuwa, Mannar, Chilaw and Kalpitiya.

They were escorted to the Modara Harbour to be handed over to the CID for further investigations, the Navy media unit said.