Navy apprehends 16 illegal migrants

Sri Lanka Navy apprehended 16 Sri Lankans who were on an attempt to illegally migrate via sea routes, on 19^th August 2019.

Accordingly, SL Navy in coordination with Police STF had searched a suspicious house during a raid carried out in Wennappuwa area. By further search there, 14 persons who stayed at the home on an attempt to illegally migrate via sea routes, the human smuggler and the house owner were taken into naval custody.

This apprehended smuggler was identified as a previous offender and an arrested suspect in related to such human smuggling attempt to Australia. These suspects are residents of Kurunegala, Chilaw, Puttalam and Negombo areas. A small lorry and a motor bike believed to be used for transferring the suspects, were also found by extended search around the said house. Among the apprehended people there were, a woman (1), two small children (2) and thirteen males (13). The apprehended suspects along with the small lorry and the motor bike were handed over to the Wennappuwa Police for onward investigations.

Due to the deployment of Sri Lanka Navy’s regular patrols and its strong network of intelligence, 12 illegal migrants were also apprehended on 17^th August 2019. Since it is impossible for illegal migrants and human smugglers to break the shackles of the Navy and flee free, such attempts have been minimized.