Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 69 persons illegally bound for Australia in a multi-day trawler in the early hours of 21 st August 2012. The trawler named “Asha Duwa” was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Western Naval Command in the seas off Negombo.
Among the arrested persons are 48 Tamils, 19 Sinhalese and 2 Muslims. They are residents of Negombo, Pulmude, Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna, Wishvamadu and Batticaloa. They were escorted to Modera Fisheries Harbour to be handed over to the CID for further investigations.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, August 22, 2012; Image: Sri Lanka Navy