News, Picks

Navy stops 17 people who attempted to head to Australia

05 Mar, 2016

The navy today arrested?17 people who attempted to head to Australia by boat, the navy media unit said.

Naval crew onboard the ship SLNS Samudura apprehended the 17 people?early this morning?in the seas 40 NMs off the Galle lighthouse.

Among those arrested are a woman, two small girls and two young boys.

The would-be asylum seekers had left from the Negombo harbor onboard the fishing trawler ?Vindana 3? on 1st March. The Sri Lanka navy apprehended the migrants on a tip off received by intelligence personnel.

The apprehended migrants were taken to the port of Galle with the help of the naval craft P414 and handed over to the police station in Galle for onward investigations.

The navy said that there is no means of heading towards Australia using illegal methods as the country is very strict with regard to such migration.

“However people keep on venturing and losing their hard earned money based on the bogus information given by human smugglers and finally become convicts in the hands of the law. Due to the deployment of Sri Lanka navy?s regular patrols and its strong network of intelligence it is impossible to break the shackles of the navy,” the navy said following the arrest.

Australia has in the recent past adopted a policy to turn back any illegal asylum seeker boats which attempts to reach Australian waters.?(Colombo Gazette)

Recommended For You

Feature Image

Government tells UNHRC all IDPs resettled

The government today told the UN Human Rights Council that?all 295,873 IDPs resulting from the end of the conflict in 2009 have been resettled. Speaking during the?interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings and the Special Rapporteur on internally displaced persons, the Sri Lankan delegation said that as of March 2013, of the full caseload of IDPs displaced during the conflict period spanning 30 years, the total number resettled in the former conflict-affected Nor

30 May, 2013

Feature Image

Thailand, Lanka to enhance maritime security

Thailand and Sri Lanka held bilateral talks today when the Prime Minister of Thailand?Yingluck Shinawatra met President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential?Secretariat. The visiting Thai Premier also?addressed?the Parliament at a special?session, the President’s office said. The two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in defense and maritime security. President Rajapaksa said sharing experiences and expertise will contribute to eradicating terrorism and other security threats in the region.

31 May, 2013

Feature Image

Dr Jayalath Jayawardana is no more

UNP MP Dr Jayalath Jayawardana passed away today while receiving treatment in Singapore for an illness. Born in 1953 and Dr Jayalath Jayawardana?obtained his MBBS Medical Degree from the Medical Faculty of the University of Colombo. He has also obtained several Postgraduate degrees from the USA, Russia, etc., He was the Personal medical doctor to the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa and to his family. Dr Jayalath Jayawardana had shown a keen interest in social service since his young days and

30 May, 2013