Navy intercepts Australia bound ‘Kangaroo’

Ridma Dissanayake

The Sri Lanka Navy arrested 83 persons illegally bound for Australia in a multi-day trawler yesterday.

The trawler named Kangaroo was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Southern Naval Command, 15 nautical miles off Mirissa, Galle.

Among the arrested were 48 Tamils, 32 Sinhalese and three Muslims. Seventy eight among them were males.

The arrested are residents of Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Chilaw, Batticaloa, Nuwara Eliya, Wattala, Wennappuwa, Matara and Hambantota. This is the second raid conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy this month.

According to the Navy Media Unit they arrested 130 persons bound for Australia so far this month. Those arrested were brought to the Galle Harbour and handed over to the CID.