A group of 42 suspected illegal immigrants staying at a lodge to leave for Australia was arrested by the Chilaw police in the early hours of last morning. The group included 28 men, five women and nine children.

Police said that they were members of four families from Jaffna and Gurunagar areas. “They were waiting for the arrival of a multi-day trawler to the Negombo fishery harbour,” a Police spokeman said.

Police said that the ‘agent’ had charged from Rs.500,000 to Rs.1 million from them for the trip. (Pix and text by Augustine Fernando)