July 03, Colombo: During a search operation carried out in the Eastern seas on Sunday (03) Sri Lanka Navy apprehended 51 Sri Lankans in a local multi-day fishing trawler attempting to illegally migrate to a foreign country via sea.

In the search operation mounted in the seas off Trincomalee this morning, the Eastern Naval Command managed to intercept a suspicious local multiday fishing trawler carrying the group who were suspected to be attempting to illegally migrate from the island.

Among the apprehended individuals were 41 males including 06 persons involved in the racket, 05 females and 05 children. Along with the suspects, the fishing vessel used for this illegal act was also seized by the Navy.

The suspects held in this operation are residents of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Gampaha and Ratnapura, who are from 05 to 56 years of age. They will be handed over to the Trincomalee Harbor Police for onward legal proceedings, the Navy said.

Meanwhile, a coordinated operation mounted by the Navy, Sri Lanka Coast Guard and Police in Marawila on 02nd July 2022, made way to the apprehension of 24 individuals, who are suspected to be illegal immigrants. They were apprehended while staying at a lodge in the locality, awaiting to migrate from the island by sea.

The group consisted of 08 males, 06 females and 10 children. Further, the raiding party also nabbed the lodgekeeper who provided accommodation for the group.

The apprehended individuals who are from 03 months to 50 years of age, were identified as residents of Batticaloa, Valaichchenai and Chilaw areas. They were handed over to the Marawila Police for onward legal action.