No clue yet on those behind the ring; indications are that Tamil Tigers with local contacts could be involved
The Kollam police claimed to have busted a human trafficking racket on Sunday night with the arrest of two groups of Sri Lankan Tamils, one from a fishing boat off the coast and the other from Mukkad area of Kavanad in the city. Those taken into custody comprise 107 men, 19 women and 25 children.
They told the police that Australia was their destination and they had paid Rs. 50,000 each for being smuggled into that country. But the police were clueless on the identity of the people behind the racket.
“At the same time there are indications that Tamil Tigers with local contacts could be involved.”
Kollam Police Commissioner Debesh Kumar Behera told The Hindu that it would be verified whether they had sneaked out of refugee camps in Tamil Nadu or arrived here directly from Sri Lanka.
It was also being examined whether those taken into custody were in possession of travel documents.
Preliminary investigations revealed that some of those taken into custody had arrived directly from Sri Lanka but the majority had sneaked out of refugee camps in the hope of reaching Australia.
The police arrested boat owner Alex and middleman Dasan, both of Kollam.
The boat was a crude vessel marked to be condemned. It displayed two names, “Saint Antony” and “Kottarathil.” From the boat 136 were taken into custody and the rest from Kavanad.
The arrested alleged that they were victims of human rights violations both in Sri Lanka and even at the refugee camps in India and that the torture had compelled them to take the risk of embarking on a dangerous voyage in a crude boat in the hope of reaching Australia. They were told that it would take 18 days.
The women and children were found to have been accommodated inside the store of the boat.
But the police did not find sufficient food or water.
Convincing version
Mr. Behera said the version of the Tamils seemed convincing as many of their relatives had reached Australia through the same mode.
It was a group of youths relaxing on the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake at Mukkad which saw some Tamils desperately rushing to a boat jetty and alerted the police.
The police soon arrived and on interrogating the group, learnt that a boatload of Sri Lankan Tamils being trafficked to Australia was not far from the Kollam coast.
The boat was scheduled to arrive at Mukkad and pick up this group.
When the operators on the boat learnt that the police were on to them, they skipped the Mukkad schedule and began sailing away. However, a posse from the Neendakara Coastal Police station, gave chase in the interceptor boat Darshana, and stopped the vessel from escaping.
Crew escape
When the police entered the boat there was no crew. It was suspected that they could have jumped into the sea and escaped. The team from the Coastal Police Station steered the fishing boat to the Shakthikulangara Harbour.
Keywords: human trafficking racket
Yet another saga of misery for the Srilankan Tamils. How can they ever make it to Australia in a condemned boat ? Is that truly possible ? God only knows the answer.
It is sad that every time one comes across a Sri Lankan Tamil they are
suspected as LTTE. They are victims of this skepticism inside and
outside their country. Passage to Australia through such a means is
not legal but it seems totally LEGITIMATE. This is one example of how
laws can be illegitimate sometimes. These Tamils are not given equal
rights in their country and just because they are Tamils they have to
suffer. The international community turns a deaf eye to their
concerns. All that matters here is legality , not humanity. The
article boasts of having blocked an illegal activity, however it seems
like the police has made the lives of 151 Sri Lankans more miserable
by upholding migration laws.
The best place for these people is Tamil Nadu, if not Australia or Canada. Most of them are people who swam accross the Palk strate in the 50's and the 60's, or their decendents. Please keep them.
yet another case of police being hand in glove with criminals- looks like the boat crew were dolphins or sharks to have disappearted into the sea.
The cbi should conduct a thorough investigation into how far the
police are involved
This week Australia has busted people smugglers and the illegal asylum seekers will be brought before courts, prior to deportation. The fault lies squarely on king pin people smugglers whose place is in the slammer. How did these asylum seekers have Rs.50,000 each to pay for the smugglers? Obviously they have been funded by an outside organisation possibly the LTTE rump in the west.There are genuine refugees in places of real persecution in the world and Sri Lanka definitely is a peaceful nation now, after 40 years of terrorism. Is the LTTE trying to tell the world absolute false stories, lies upon lies to discredit Sri Lanka through these illegals, to gain separation when their terrorist war failed. It will never work.
trafficking racket!!!!..Common Guys..They are escaping from a atrocities of Sri Lankan Govt and its Military. They are trying to survive for their life. If the Govt. of India can help, let it do it. Or leave them on their way..we have to pity on this people who always struggle for their life..India is the one who destabilise their life.. Refugee campls are worst than the Nazi Camps..
The supposed to be refugees or any other name should be deported immediately to Sri Lanka and to should be handed over to the coastal guard or police. We should not keep in the cell which would attract huge expenses and lose for the state or central govt.
Please release them. These people are innocent victims and Australia is the best place for them eventhough Sri Lanka is a nice and peaceful place on earth to live in.
This story has many holes, apparently. First of all, if the police are clueless about the masterminds of this racket, how can the headline claim it has been busted? One can say a racket has been unearthed, yet to be busted. The stories of these 'Tamils' can hardly be believed, and they must be promptly sent to Sri Lanka. Where would these people fit in Australia? In some aborigine tribe? Wouldn't it be obvious right upon landing that they are illegal immigrants trying to pose as refugees? What human rights violations are they claiming? Why have they not complained to the UNHRC, that has a very strong presence in India?
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