Three Sri Lankan Tamils Arrested While Attempting Illegal Return by Sea

Three Sri Lankan Tamils have been arrested in Tamil Nadu while allegedly attempting to return illegally to Sri Lanka by sea, according to Indian authorities.

Following Sri Lanka’s economic crisis in 2022, more than 300 Sri Lankan Tamils fled to India by boat, arriving in Dhanushkodi and seeking refuge in Tamil Nadu. They were subsequently accommodated at the Mandapam Sri Lankan Refugee Rehabilitation Camp.

Several of these refugees had repeatedly submitted requests to the Ramanathapuram District Collector and the Sri Lankan Consulate in Chennai, seeking to be repatriated to Sri Lanka. However, officials stated that they could not be legally returned due to their illegal entry into India.

In the latest incident, three individuals were detained on the evening of April 27 by the Q Branch Police near the Vinayagar Temple, located close to the Mandapam Children’s Park along the southern coast. The suspects were reportedly behaving suspiciously in the area.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Jimsriv (48), his wife Rajini (47), and their daughter Thibenthini (20), all residents of Gurunagar in Jaffna. During questioning, they admitted that they were waiting to board a boat to return to Sri Lanka illegally.

Additionally, three more individuals from the Erumaitharavai area in Mandapam, who were allegedly assisting the operation with diesel and supplies, were also arrested.

All six suspects have been handed over to the Mandapam Police. A case has been filed against them, and they have been produced before court and remanded in custody pending further legal proceedings.

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