Sri Lanka Navy intercepted 69 persons illegally bound for Australia in a multi-day trawler today, the navy said.

The trawler named “Asha Duwa” was intercepted by a Fast Naval Patrol Craft attached to the Western Naval Command in the seas off Negombo.

Among the arrested persons are 48 Tamils, 19 Sinhalese and 02 Muslims. They are residents of Negombo, Pulmude, Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna, Wishvamadu and Batticaloa. They were escorted to Modera Fisheries Harbour to be handed over to the CID for further investigations.