Last week’s detection of over 300 Sri Lankans on a Myanmar-flagged vessel in the South China Sea has given rise to suspicion that human smugglers have opened a fresh route to transport their charges, a senior Naval official said yesterday.
He said that this group included men, women and children were most probably flown out of the country to a South Eastern nation prior to taking the sea journey.
“Earlier, most of the transport of illegal immigrants was carried out from beachheads mainly in the North and the East and the deep South in multi-day fishing trawlers from which they were later transferred to larger vessels anchored in the deep seas.
However, since the Navy had increased its maritime patrols and remained on top alert several such illegal voyages had been thwarted and over 2,000 people were rounded up this year alone.
“This may be one reason, the smugglers had opted for an air route to a South East Asian destination prior to a sea voyage,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.
The vessel had entered the South China Sea and was heading towards the Pacific when it was crippled after the engine room started taking in water.
The immigrants were later rescued by a Japanese-flagged vessel, ‘Helios Leader’ that was in the vicinity at that time.
The immigrants are being housed in a relief centre in Vietnam until arrangements are made for their return to the country.
The Foreign Office in Colombo said that it had been in contact with the Sri Lankan mission in that country and that the entire group was in good health.
“Efforts are under way with all stakeholders for the speedy and safe return of the Sri Lankans to the country,” it stated in a release.