A multi-day fishing trawler illegally heading to Australia from India with 66 persons onboard was arrested by Sri Lanka Navy yesterday (06 May).
The craft was intercepted 13 nautical miles off Hikkaduwa in the Southwestern seas. The arrested persons are all Tamil nationals.
The government has taken a tough stance against illegal migration operations. Combined efforts by a number of state bodies including the navy has helped to drastically reduce the number of illegal immigration attempts to Australia from Sri Lanka.
The Australian government has repatriated a large number of such economic refugees who have succeeded in reaching its shores and has sent a strong signal to would be immigrants of the futility of their attempts in making the long and perilous sea journey.
