232 Sri Lankans held while illegally migrating
July 16th, 2012 - 10:08 pm ICT by IANSColombo, July 16 (IANS) The Sri Lankan Navy has detained about 250 nationals who were trying to flee the country to Australia.
A total of 232 Sri Lankans, including public employees and children were detained last week by the navy, Xinhua quoted a Sri Lankan official as saying Monday.
According to a Sri Lankan Navy spokesman, at least 16 public officials including a policeman were arrested by the navy off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka Saturday. They were among a group of 109 people attempting to smuggle themselves into Australia.
“This is the largest number of people that we have taken into custody. They were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department of the police who will be conducting investigations,” said Kosala Warnakulasuriya.
Last Friday, five children were among a boatload of 41 asylum seekers that were detained 15 nautical miles into the sea.
The number of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka has increased in 2012, with most of them trying to illegally enter Australia.
Last month, over 90 people died after two boats capsized near Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
Australian authorities have reported that over the past three weeks asylum seeker numbers have trebled, hitting the same digits as in 2009.
- Sri Lankan Navy arrests Australia-bound asylum seekers - Aug 20, 2012
- Sri Lanka navy arrests 54 Australia-bound asylum seekers - Sep 06, 2012
- 18 Indian fishermen rescued by Sri Lankan navy - Dec 22, 2011
- Boat with 200 asylum seekers capsizes off Australia - Jun 21, 2012
- Australia says boat carrying 67 asylum seekers is missing - Aug 15, 2012
- Australia under pressure to reject Sri Lankan envoy - Jan 24, 2011
- Sri Lanka to establish warning system for n-disasters - Jun 30, 2012
- Sri Lankan politician arrested for human smuggling - Jul 25, 2012
- 36 Sri Lankans deported, reach Colombo (Lead) - Jun 01, 2012
- Australia intercepts boats carrying more than 300 asylum seekers - May 07, 2012
- Sri Lanka detains 113 on way to Australia - May 28, 2012
- Indian fishermen to be freed soon: Sri Lanka - Jun 23, 2011
- Detained asylum-seekers' spokesman 'Alex' a smuggler: Sri Lankan Govt. - Nov 07, 2009
- Tamil deportations stopped from Britain - Jun 01, 2012
- Chinese fishermen detained in Sri Lanka released - Aug 07, 2012
Tags: asylum seeker, asylum seekers, australian authorities, australian territory, boatload, christmas island, criminal investigation department, digits, friday five, indian ocean, investigations, last friday, nationals, nautical miles, navy spokesman, policeman, public officials, sri lankan navy, two boats, xinhua