The Sri Lankan navy has arrested at least four Nigerian men and two locals from Mannar off the Talaimannar coast last Sunday.
The men were apprehended during a Sri Lankan navy patrol allegedly aimed at curbing people smuggling across the border to India.
All of the arrested men have since been handed over to the Sri Lankan police.
Though the military has claimed to step up its efforts against people smuggling, and has repeatedly prevented asylum seekers from fleeing the island, there have also been reports of the Sri Lankan navy’s involvement in people smuggling.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
