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| Sunday, 10 February 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Network of Intl. agents in illegal immigrant trade by Jayanthi Liyanage The Galle Magistrate Court ordered 86 illegal immigrants, captured by Navy patrol in mid-sea, 20 miles off Beruwala, to be remanded for a week pending investigations. Harbour Police of Galle said the multi-day fishing boat, "Supuni 2", found adrift at 3.30 a.m. on February 5, had launched from Dondra-head around 11.59 p.m. This is the third in a series of long-range fishing crafts, loaded beyond capacity with passengers allegedly bound for Italy, detected since the month began. Police believe its organisers are connected to those of the "Sanduni" boat, seen emptying passengers at Hikkaduwa Fishing Harbour at 10.30 p.m. on February 4 and the fishing craft which capsized 750 M off Dondra-Head, Wellamadama, at 2.00 a.m. on February 3, killing five. "Supuni 2" had 39 Sinhalese, 46 Tamils and one Muslim from Munnakkaraya, Chilaw, Negombo, Kochchikade, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Point Pedro and Kankasanturai, many between 17-30 years of age. The boat had sailed for about 12 hours when the engine stopped. The skipper, Warnakulasuriya Ratnapala (45) of Munnakkaraya, Negombo, did not know how to repair it. One young passenger who had done a technical course had been able to repair it. Ratnapala had spoken to the local organiser on radio and had been advised not to come back to land as he would send another boat. While aimlessly adrift, a Navy Patrol unit had captured them. The boat had carried large amounts of dry food rations such as rice, dhal, noodles, soya meat, sprats, dry fish, gas cylinders, water barrels and 10,000 litres of diesel. Courts would take up the case on February 13. A Police team from Galle is investigating in Negombo from where the boat-owners and the organisers are said to operate. Three of the six young men rescued from the sinking fishing craft at Dondra have named Nishantha and Kuruppu Handige Ranjan from Katuneriya as the boat-owner and the organiser of the ill-fated voyage. The weather-worn boat has now drifted near the shores at Eliyakande, Matara where sands are littered with covers of noodles and biscuit packets, remnants left of a near-impossible navigation taken on a unseaworthy vessel. "Supuni 2" had planned to arrive in Cairo in 28 days, Galle Harbour Police said. It was built on the same lines as the local fishing craft which sail as far as Diego Garcia Islands to capture sharks. Seven maps detailing route to Cairo from Dondra had been found on the boat. Twenty miles off Dondra-Head beyond Maldives towards Somalia across Red Sea through Suez Canal to Cairo. In Cairo, another agent would take over. Ratnapala had been paid Rs. 25,000 for the journey and had been assured of a job in Italy. The passengers had no idea what would take place beyond Cairo. The passengers had been told that from the boat they would be taken to a ship. Each one had paid different amounts of money to the organisers. When the journey began, a passenger had to pay Rs. 50,000. At Cairo, his passport and identity card would be taken by an agent and he would have to call his Sri Lankan home and ask his family to pay Rupees one lakh to the local agent. Another lakh of rupees to be given when the passenger arrives at the Italian border. If the family could not meet the demand, the passenger would be stranded. Details of a well-designed international network of agents have emerged from the arrested immigrants. The Police believe that of the three fishing craft, "Sanduni" could be the boat which succeeded in getting away from Sri Lankan waters on January 31 and could be nearing Italy now. Since its load of passengers was too heavy, it may have let off some at Hikkaduwa. The Police, alerted by a phone call, could arrest only six. The rest had fled. "They had had no food for four days. They asked us for food and water," a resident of the area said. There was a marked reluctance among the residents of the area to speak of the incident. The general response was, "We didn't see anything." The arrested six, namely, Ajith Athugala (22), W.B. Dushmantha (22), Nalin Pushpika (22), Rukshan Prasad (22), J.A. Tony Priyantha (21) and H.P. Champika Kumara (20), all from Marawila, will be produced in courts on February 8. Police used axes to chop through to the cabin to rescue six from the capsized boat at Dondra. It is said that the organisers had been on shore and sent boats to rescue passengers which could have been over 100 in number and helped them get away before the night was over. Three recovered sufficiently at Matara Hospital to make a statement. They had travelled from areas as such Marawila, Wennappuwa and Negombo to Dondra and had been taken to the fishing craft on sea aboard other boats after mid-night. The craft already had held about 100 more passengers. After about twenty minutes sailing, due to the heavy load, the boat had lost balance and keeled over. The arrested, now in remand custody, will be produced in courts on February 18. The dead were identified as Ratugamage Sunimal Chaminda Fernando, Wennappuwa, Wariyapperuma Appuhamilage Nimal Premasiri, Chilaw, Mihindukkulasuriya Muthubandana Poratotage Milroy Fernando, Marawila and Warnakulasuriya Jude Stanley Fernando, Anamaduwa, all below 30 years of age. One body still lies unidentifed at the hospital mortuary. P. Hettiarachchi, OIC of Matara Police, said, "We have uncovered information about two persons carrying on this racket of extracting money from people on the promise that they will be taken to Italy. Until the investigations are complete, we cannot reveal their names, but we know clearly who are involved. We believe that a few businessmen in the fishing industry in Negombo, Seeduwa and Marawila have taken to this racketeering." Asked whether there could be a LTTE connection as reported in some newspapers, Hettiarachchi said, "The allegation is because people from uncleared areas have been on the boat. Galle Police is investigating." |
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