By Indika Sri Aravinda

Foreign employment bureau authorities have detected a racket by an organized gang in sending underage youth overseas on tourist visas, on the pretext of providing employment.

The Special Investigations Unit at the Katunayake air port succeeded in uncovering the racket with the detection of several such departures last month, Chairman of Foreign Employment Bureau Kingsley Ranawake told Daily Mirror online.

Investigations have revealed that under aged girls are said to have been sent on tourist visas to countries including Singapore identified as tourist commercial destinations, for employment as housemaids.

The Chairman of the Foreign Employment Bureau said that the investigations have been entrusted with the Criminal Investigations Department. He also said that the CID will investigate to ascertain if there is a foreign hand in the racket.