July 13, Trincomalee: Sri Lanka Navy intercepted a fishing trawler carrying illegal immigrants bound for Australia Friday in the deep seas off of Trincomalee in Eastern Province.

According to the Navy, a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Eastern Naval Command detected the multi-day fishing trawler carrying 41 people in the seas off of Trincomalee.

The group of people, most of which are ethnic Tamils included 31 men, 5 women and 5 children onboard the over-crowded trawler. Among the children were 2 boys and 3 girls that included an infant, the Navy said.

Naval personnel have detained the would be migrants and seized the boat. The detainees have been handed over to the Trincomalee harbor police after the trawler was brought to Trincomalee harbor.

The arrest is the second made by the Navy within four days in Sri Lanka's Eastern waters.

The Navy says its vigilance has been able to avert two human tragedies in the prevailing rough seas.

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