Navy detains 44 people attempting to illegally migrate by sea

The Navy detained 44 people attempting to illegally migrate by sea from the eastern seas.

The Navy said that the illegal migrants were detained during a special search operation conducted off Trincomalee and Batticaloa.

The operation was conducted by Fast Attack Craft P 465 and P 4443 of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla (4 FAF).

The Navy said that a fast attack craft intercepted a suspicious local multiday fishing trawler off Trincomalee and detained 29 individuals who were suspected to be on an illegal migration attempt.

Among those detained were 25 males, including 05 accused of being involved in the racket, 02 females aged over 18 years and 02 individuals below the age of 18.

In another operation, a Navy vessel detained 02 suspects and a dinghy.

Meanwhile, another Navy vessel detained a local multiday fishing trawler and detained 05 males aged over 18 years. The group was suspected to be on an illegal migration attempt.

In a separate operation carried out in the Valaithottam beach, the Navy detained 10 males aged over 18 years. It was suspected that the individuals were attempting to migrate using a fishing trawler.

The suspects detained in the separate operations were identified as residents of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Puttalam, Hambantota, Valaichchenai, Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu and Kuchchaveli. (Colombo Gazette)