Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 77 persons illegally bound for Australia in a multi-day trawler on 28 th September 2012. The trawler named “Nirmani” was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Western Naval Command 20 nautical miles off Thoduwawa seas.
Among the arrested persons are 61 Tamils, 14 Sinhalese and 2 Muslims that included 75 males, a woman and a child. They are residents of Jaffna, Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Puttlam, Colombo, Udappuwa, Mannar, Chilaw and Kalpitiya. They were escorted to Modara Harbour to be handed over to the CID for further investigations.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, September 28, 2012; Image: Sri Lanka Navy