July 16, Trincomalee: Sri Lanka Navy foiled a third illegal migration attempt in three days when they intercepted an Australia-bound trawler Monday and arrested the 61 people onboard.

A Sri Lankan Navy Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Eastern Naval Command has detected the multi-day fishing trawler sailing to Australia in the seas about 37 nautical miles east of Trincomalee in the East today.

The Navy personnel arrested the 61 men onboard and seized the over-crowded trawler with a large amount of dry rations and personal belongings stacked inside.

Both men and the trawler were brought to the Trincomalee Harbor to hand over to the Criminal Investigation Department, the Navy said.

The arrest is the fourth made by the Navy within a week in Sri Lanka's Eastern waters.

The Navy Sunday arrested a fishing trawler carrying 109 illegal immigrants bound for Australia in the deep seas off Kalkudha in the Eastern Province.

In a separate incident Sri Lanka Police arrested 22 asylum seekers preparing to leave the shores in Chilaw of the North Western Province.

The illegal voyages to Australia have been on the rise at a frenzied pace recently and authorities are focusing attention to the cause for the sudden increase in migration attempts.