Kingpin nabbed in Negombo:

Police bust human smuggling racket

by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

A well organised human smuggling racket has been uncovered by the Police.

The leader of this human trafficking racket - a multi-millionaire fish businessman from Negombo has been taken into custody, said Inspector General of Police Jayantha Wickramaratna.

He said that the victims of this racket were not only Sri Lankan job seekers to Australia, Europe and Japan, but also others from Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries of the region.A number of Sri Lankans along with others from several Asian countries were caught by Austrian and European emigration authorities recently when they were attempting to enter those countries illegally. They are at present held in detention centres. A group of Sri Lankans who had defied the Australian emigration laws by landing illegally in Australia have been deported to Sri Lanka.

Investigations have divulged that the job seekers were temporarily accommodated in coastal town such as Tangalle, Beruwela or Negombo - until forged passports and other travel documents were prepared.

Later they were taken by boats or ships to their destinations or in the alternative to some Red Sea coastal cities.

The IGP requests the public to pass any information relating to forged passports or National Identity Cards direct to him by Fax No. 011 2446174 or Police Headquarters Fax No. 011 2421111.

The IGP also said that some suspected human smuggling agents are in the Police net at present and further investigations are being carried out. It has been found out that mostly rural youth have fallen victims to these rackets operated by anti-social elements.

They have lost large sums of hard earned money at the hands of the unscrupulous job agents.

The IGP appeals to all Sri Lankans not to attempt to leave Sri Lanka by illegal means.