Sri Lanka Navy intercepted a multi-day fishing trawler illegally headed for Australia in the seas 25 nautical miles off Kalkudah. All the persons onboard the intercepted trawler that included 109 males were brought to the Trincomalee Naval Base and handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations on 14th July 2012.
The over-crowded trawler named “Sewandi Duwa”, with a large amount of dry rations and personal belongings stacked inside, was detected by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Eastern Naval Command. The arrest, the highest of such kind, is the third made by the Navy within 05 days in Sri Lanka’s Eastern waters.
The arrested persons were from Chilaw, Kalmunai, Kalpitiya, Thalawakelle and Valachchenai. Navy’s vigilance has been able to avert yet another human tragedy in the rough seas.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, July 16, 2012; Image: Sri Lanka Navy