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| Sunday, 6 July 2003 |
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The Tangalle detection : Human contraband via Sri Lanka Tuesday's high sea drama off the coast of Tangalle has once again brought to light the unsavoury reality of human smuggling. Despite stringent measures by the government to curb the menace, legitimate employment by the Italian government, constance surveillance by the Police and the Navy, the highly lucrative human smuggling business continues. An average of 50 Sri Lankans are reportedly smuggled in to Italy every month. But the Tangalle incident reveals an alarming new development. The emergence of Sri Lanka as a transit point for an international smuggling ring, targeting South Asians who have easy access to Sri Lanka because of relaxed visa rules. by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) will seek the assistance of the Attorney General to indict the 254 Pakistani Nationals, five Sri Lankans and the ship's crew apprehended while trying to leave the shores of Sri Lanka in a ship destined presumably to Greece or Italy, Superintendent of Police D.S.Y. Samaratunga said. Mr. Samaratunga said that the local network of persons involved in the human smuggling operation have been identified and several CID teams have been despatched to arrest them. They had been working in collusion with persons based in Pakistan and sums ranging from Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 400,000 have been collected from each person to arrange passage to Greece. "We have sought the assistance of INTERPOL Headquarters in Paris to detect the ring of human smugglers operating in other countries." Samaratunga said. Meanwhile the ship had been identified as a Russian vessel named Invincible flying the Mongolian flag. The vessel earlier named as Denvile was subsequently changed to 'Invincible' and registered with a company named Talaz Co. in Martial Island off Philippines. The crew members of the ship have been identified as one Russian, two Ukrainians and three Georgians. The ship changed its crew after arriving in Colombo for the second time. The captain of the ship has been identified as a Russian who took charge of the ship in Colombo. Apparently he was selected as the captain of 'Invincible' after applying for an advertisement in the newspapers. Asked whether the suspects had created an offence, Mr. Samaratunga said that the law relating to human smuggling was very clear. The suspects and the ship's crew had committed an offence and steps will be taken to indict them in a court of law. Meanwhile all suspects were produced before the Tangalle Magistrate and were remanded till 16th July. On Thursday the Russian captain and two Ukrainian men in the custody of the Navy were also produced before the Tangalle Magistrate and remanded. According to CID officials, the Russian ship had arrived in Colombo some where in March and having attended to some repairs had left for Karachi. The ship arrived for the second time in Sri Lanka on June 16 and was anchored eight miles off the Panadura coast. However on a tip off, the CID alerted the Navy about the suspicious movements of the vessel and a surveillance operation was mounted with the help of the Navy. Although the ship was to sail to Karachi last week it changed course and suddenly sailed towards the southern province. The ship was then berthed 8 miles of the Kudawella coast. A 24-hour surveillance of the ship was mounted with the help of a handpicked CID team consisting of nine inspectors and several other cadres from other ranks. While keeping an eye on the ship, the detectives were able to spot three trawlers speeding towards the Kudawella jetty on Monday. Simultaneously they also noticed three buses packed with people approaching the Kudawella jetty. The passengers having alighted from the bus boarded the three trawlers that took them to the ship berthed in the deep sea. Once the men boarded the ship, the Naval Patrol boats surrounded the ship and the detectives made the arrests. CID officials said the statements of the Russian crew members were being recorded with the help of an Interpreter from the Russian embassy. Early this year around 70 officials from law enforcement agencies from 38 Asian countries met in Colombo to discuss human smuggling and other crimes. Early figures show that around 50 illicit immigrants from Sri Lanka enter Italy every month. Even those who were employed in the Middle east had made their way to Italy illegally. However majority of them have been deported from Italy by the immigration authorities. Interior Minister John Amaratunga said that those involved in trafficking of narcotics, money laundering and arms smuggling were also involved human smuggling. They also have links with terrorist groups he said. According to a Sri Lankan domiciled in Italy many illicit immigrants end up in slave camps and in brothels. Many have been lured to Italy by the promise of a better life, But often end up labouring for more than 15 hours a day. This year a team of Police officials went to Egypt to discuss with their counterparts, the human smuggling racket via Egypt. The racket was exposed when Egyptian authorities received a distress call from a ship that they had run out of food and water. When authorities boarded the vessel carrying illicit immigrants they found a Sri Lankan dead on the ship. Two years ago fourteen men who attempted to travel to Italy on a high powered trawler were arrested by the Negombo police. The suspects, mostly young persons, had paid sums ranging from Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 400,000 for the smugglers to get them across to Italy. Last year the Negombo police arrested 27 persons trying to flee the country in a trawler. The suspects were later produced before the Negombo Magistrate's court and were remanded. According to CID, human smuggling have become a lucrative business among international crime syndicates. About five years ago 57 persons mostly Sri Lankans, were found dead inside a petrol bowser in Italy. The detection was made by the Italian border guards. They said that many asylum seekers attempt to enter Italy thorough Bulgaria. This year the Navy intercepted a boat in high seas and detected 177 suspects bound for Italy. The suspects were later handed over to the Harbour police. Last year police arrested 21 persons who had checked into a lodge at Kotahena. They were planning to migrate to Italy illegally by boat from the Southern costal belt. Owing to the liberalisation of Sri Lankan visas, a large number of people from SARRC countries arrive in Sri Lanka with the idea of travelling to Italy and other western nations illegally. Although Negombo was a favourite spot for human smuggling operations the smugglers have now switched their venue to the Southern costal belt. The reason behind this move is that there are fewer naval patrols in the southern seas hence making it and an ideal location for human smuggling operations. Last week the Italian Ambassador in Sri Lanka made an announcement that his government would offer 500 lawful jobs to Sri Lankans to work in Italy as a reward for Sri Lankan government's effort to stamp out illegal smuggling. Of all the Asian countries, the Sri Lankan government has taken strong measures to crack down on human smuggling, he said. |
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