Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 2 multi-day trawlers illegally headed for Australia 35 nautical miles south-east of Trincomalee in the early hours of July 10. The intercepted trawlers were brought to the Trincomalee harbor with 82 persons including 78 men, 2 women and 2 children onboard.
The over-crowded trawlers with a large amount of provisions and personal belongings stacked inside were detected by 2 Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Eastern Naval Command. The “passengers”, who had opted for the perilous journey, were in grave danger in the choppy seas due to prevailing adverse weather conditions when the timely interception was made by the Navy preventing a human tragedy.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, July 12, 2012; Image: Sri Lanka Navy