News

Navy detains 38 people attempting to migrate to Australia by boat

12 Jun, 2022

Feature Image

The Sri Lanka Navy detained 38 people in the seas off Ampara while attempting to migrate to Australia by boat.

The Navy media unit said that among those detained were 26 males including six suspects involved in the racket, 05 females and 07 children.

A multi-day fishing trawler was also seized during the operation in the seas off Okanda, in Ampara last afternoon (Saturday), the Navy said today.

The suspects held in this operation are residents of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Valachchenai, Chilaw, Kalpitiya, Udappuwa, Ja-Ela and Negombo areas.

They were handed over to the Panama Police for legal action.

The Navy said that the Australian Government does not support such illegal immigrants. Accordingly, the Australian Government repatriated groups of 12 and 15 Sri Lankans on 24th May and 09th June respectively, after having foiled their illegal migration attempts to Australia by boat.

Once repatriated such illegal immigrants may not be eligible to obtain valid visas to Australia. (Colombo Gazette)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Colombo Gazette (@colombogazette)

Recommended For You

Feature Image

Frontline workers get the second AstraZeneca Covishield jab

Frontline workers in Sri Lanka were given the second jab of the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine today. State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control, Sudarshani Fernandopulle told Colombo Gazette the process to provide the second dose of the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine began today. The second dose is first been given to frontline workers in Sri Lanka, the State Minister said. Earlier, the Government had announced that the vaccination programme for the 2nd jab of

28 Apr, 2021

Feature Image

Chinese Defence Minister says relations with Sri Lanka further strengthened

Chinese State Councilor and Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe says China’s relations with Sri Lanka have been further strengthened. He said this after meeting President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today. The Chinese Defence Minister was received at the Presidential Secretariat by the Secretary to the President, P.B. Jayasundera and Foreign Secretary (retired) Admiral Professor Jayanath Colombage. The Chinese Defence Minister said the bilateral discussions held with th

28 Apr, 2021

Feature Image

Virus spreading in Sri Lanka found to be UK variant

The coronavirus variant currently spreading in Sri Lanka has been found to be a UK variant of the virus. Director of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine of the Sri Jayewardenepura University, Dr. Chandima Jeewandara said mutations specific to the UK variant B.1.1.7 lineage, had been detected in several areas of the country. He said the virus strain has been detected from samples obtained from Colombo, Boralesgamuwa and Kurunegala. Dr. Jeewandara further said that this confirms

28 Apr, 2021