Smugglers arrive in Mannar among refugees

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 July 2004, 14:36 GMT]
The Mannar magistrate Saturday remanded until July 22 four boatmen and their assistants for illegally ferrying twelve refugees and two alleged smugglers from South India. Talaimannar Police arrested the smugglers with gold jewellery and clothes, legal sources in Mannar said.

Mannar magistrate, Mr. N.M.M Abdhullah, directed Police to produce the alleged smugglers in the Colombo Harbour Court on July 11.

He released the refugees and directed Sri Lanka Police and government officials to assist the refugees return to their villages in the Northeast.

The Liberation Tigers and Sri Lankan Police say that Mannar has emerged as a main transit point for smuggling contraband, including Heroin, from India.