The Mandapam Forest Range officials have arrested two agents, who clandestinely ferry Sri Lankan Tamils along with their ‘vallam’ (engine fitted country boat) while the marine police of the Coastal Security Group (CSG) detained two Lankan Tamils who made vain bid to flee.
A special team led by S. Sathish, Mandapam Forest Range Officer, launched patrolling around Single island, near Kurusadai island in the Gulf of Mannar on Saturday and arrested N.Sivakumar alias Kumar, 43, and N. Baskaran, 40, who acted as agents and ferried Lankan Tamils who returned home clandestinely.
The duo, facing cases for illegally ferrying Lankan Tamils, were hiding in the island after abandoning the vallam when the forest personnel apprehended them and seized the boat. The accused were arrested on charges of trespassing into the Marine National Park under Wildlife Protection Act.
The agents would take the Lankan Tamils up to the second sand dunes, about 10 nautical miles from Arichalmunai point, and hand them over to their Sri Lankan counterparts. On Friday, they ferried two Lankan Tamils – Sai Charan and Vijay, both in their late 20s, up to the second sand dunes but brought them back after the Sri Lankan counterparts failed to turn up.
The agents charged ₹ 10,000 each from the two Lankan Tamils and ₹25,000 for the boat ride.
