Sept 22, Galle: Sri Lanka Navy has arrested another 86 illegal migrants headed for Australia from the southern shores and handed them over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for further investigations.

A Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Southern Naval Command intercepted a multi-day fishing trawler carrying the 86 people in the sea about 62 nautical miles off Galle on Friday (21).

According to the Navy, the group of 59 Tamils, 9 Sinhalese and 18 Muslims included 76 men, 4 women and 6 children.

They are residents of Thalaimannar, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Aluthgama, Beruwala, Puttalam, Jaffna, Colombo, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Kegalle.

The illegal migrants have been escorted to Galle Harbor to be handed over to the CID for further investigations.