Chennai: Twenty-six Sri Lankan Tamils were nabbed by Indian Coast Guard while on an illegal voyage to Australia in a ferry off Andaman coast and deported to their country today.
They were brought to Chennai by Andaman Police and sent back to Sri Lanka by a Spice Jet flight this morning, airport sources said.
They said coast guard personnel, on a patrol, intercepted the ferry in which the 26 Lankan nationals were travelling off Andaman two days ago.
During questioning, the occupants told officials that they were proceeding to Australia in search of job and had paid the boat operator lakhs of rupees. As they were found travelling without any documents, Coast Guard personnel detained and handed them over to Andaman Police which brought them to Chennai.
Ever since the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009, there had been several instances of Lankan Tamils taking the illegal route to reach Australia looking for greener pastures.
Australia has warned that such illegal immigrants would not be given asylum.
They were brought to Chennai by Andaman Police and sent back to Sri Lanka by a Spice Jet flight this morning, airport sources said.
They said coast guard personnel, on a patrol, intercepted the ferry in which the 26 Lankan nationals were travelling off Andaman two days ago.
Ever since the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in 2009, there had been several instances of Lankan Tamils taking the illegal route to reach Australia looking for greener pastures.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Kamala Harris Visits Border To Neutralize Weak Spot Against Trump Sri Lanka To Host West Indies For White-Ball Bilaterals In October Watch: Australia Wicket-Keeper Booed By Crowd After Claiming Grounded Catch vs England Video: Chinese Woman's Reaction To Indian Population In Canada Goes Viral Israel's New Strikes In Lebanon Minutes After Netanyahu's Speech At UN "What Rahul Gandhi Has Done...": Saif Ali Khan On "Brave Politician" Iran Embassy In Lebanon Warns Israel Strikes "Change Rules Of The Game" India Lifts Ban On Export Of Non-Basmati White Rice Hezbollah's Nasrallah: Powerful Leader Living In Hiding Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.