Sri Lankan Navy arrests four including two Indians for violating territorial waters

Sri Lankan Navy said it had arrested four people, including two from India, off the coast of Thondamanaru in Jaffna for attempting to illegally enter the country. Two of the arrested persons are Sri Lankans who had breached the international maritime boundaries with India. The boat crossed into Indian territorial waters and brought back two more men to Sri Lanka from India.

Colombo:Sri Lanka Navy arrested four people and apprehended a dinghy while the accused were on an illegal quest to migrate via sea routes on July 11. According to reports, two were arrested from the dinghy while the other two were nabbed during a special operation carried out in the seas north of Thondamannar in Jaffna.

The Sri Lankan Navy sources said that a craft attached to the Northern Naval Command spotted the dinghy 11 nautical miles off Thondamannar North. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that two of them were Indian and were passing to and fro international sea boundaries to transport migrants from India.

Further, the two migrants were identified as previous residents of Velvetithrai and Mulativu areas.

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According to Sri Lankan Navy, one of them is a former LTTE member and he was admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for treatment of respiratory difficulties with chest pain. The other person is also suspected to be an LTTE activist.

One of the culprits was reportedly tested for COVID-19 after developing breathing difficulties. The other three will be kept separately before being handed over for further investigation.

The Navy is on alert to prevent COVID-19 patients to enter Sri Lanka from India and as a precautionary measure, the persons and the dinghy were disinfected following healthcare instructions.