Navy nabs 146 Australia bound illegal immigrants

by Ranil WIJAYAPALA

The Sri Lanka Navy yesterday apprehended another two boats carrying 146 would-be illegal immigrants bound for Australia in the seas east of Trincomalee, Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya told the Sunday Observer.

“The apprehended boats were later taken to Trincomalee and the people were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations”, he said.

The Sri Lanka Navy has apprehended more than 1,846 illegal immigrants mostly bound for Australia from January this year in an effort to prevent people reaching Australia by illegal means. Navy Commander Somathilaka Dissanayake said the Navy had to deploy all of its ships in the sea in the same way it did during the war to detect LTTE arms smuggling ships and boats.