Coast Guard nabs 3 Lankans off Dhanushkodi
Rameswaram: The
(ICG) on Saturday morning apprehended three Sri Lankan nationals, including one Lankan Tamil and two Sinhalese, while trying to illegally enter India through the 4th sand dune area near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) off Dhanushkodi coast in Ramanathapuram district.
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Officials said the Coast Guard's air-cushion vehicle (ACV H-197) was on routine surveillance when its crew noticed the three. They were apprehended by 9am, brought ashore at Arichalmunai, and handed over to Marine Police.
The detained people were S Kabilan, 34, a Sri Lankan Tamil from Mullaitivu, and two Sinhalese men — Mathivilagu Asutha Gunathilaga, 33, and Sumithrolan Fernando,43, from Negombo. The trio said they set off from the Mannar coast the previous night, to infiltrate Tamil Nadu via sea.
Sources said the three had no valid documents permitting entry into India and are suspected to have paid agents to facilitate the illegal transit. No contraband or weapons were found in their possession, but probe is on for possible links to smuggling or organised networks operating across the Palk Strait.
Mandapam Marine Police and state police officials are coordinating with central intelligence agencies to ascertain the motive behind the illegal entry, as the three are alleged to have a criminal background.
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India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Coast guard arrests 3 Sri Lankans with criminal records infiltrating Tamil Nadu
The Indian Coast Guard has arrested three Sri Lankan nationals-two Sinhalese and one Lankan-Tamil while they attempted to infiltrate Tamil Nadu by sea in the early hours of Saturday. The arrest took place near Dhanushkodi, a region infamous for smuggling and other cross-border illegal activities due to its proximity to the Sri Lankan on a tip-off, the Coast Guard intensified surveillance and deployed hovercrafts to patrol the sand ridges that naturally formed in the narrow sea corridor between India and Sri Lanka. Around 4 AM, officials spotted and intercepted three individuals stranded on the fourth sand questioning, the individuals identified themselves as Sumith Rolan Fernando, Sahara Gunathilaga, both Sinhalese, and Kabilan, a Lankan Tamil. 'The three had reportedly paid Rs 2 lakh and left Pechalai district by 9 pm Friday night and reached the ridge by 4 am and had further planned to leave for a European nation through Tamilnadu,' said was previously arrested in a drug-related case and is currently out on bail. The two Sinhalese also have criminal records linked to the drug mafia, sources a similar instance earlier, the Sri Lankan Coast Guard had arrested two other individuals: Immanuel Mushab and Ajithan, both with criminal backgrounds, while they were attempting to infiltrate into Tamil arrested individuals were handed over to the State Marine Police at Mandapam for further investigation. The Coast Guard continues to maintain heightened vigilance along the Tamil Nadu coast, especially in areas vulnerable to illegal sea Ends IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Coast Guard nabs 3 Lankans off Dhanushkodi
Rameswaram: The (ICG) on Saturday morning apprehended three Sri Lankan nationals, including one Lankan Tamil and two Sinhalese, while trying to illegally enter India through the 4th sand dune area near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) off Dhanushkodi coast in Ramanathapuram district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Officials said the Coast Guard's air-cushion vehicle (ACV H-197) was on routine surveillance when its crew noticed the three. They were apprehended by 9am, brought ashore at Arichalmunai, and handed over to Marine Police. The detained people were S Kabilan, 34, a Sri Lankan Tamil from Mullaitivu, and two Sinhalese men — Mathivilagu Asutha Gunathilaga, 33, and Sumithrolan Fernando,43, from Negombo. The trio said they set off from the Mannar coast the previous night, to infiltrate Tamil Nadu via sea. Sources said the three had no valid documents permitting entry into India and are suspected to have paid agents to facilitate the illegal transit. No contraband or weapons were found in their possession, but probe is on for possible links to smuggling or organised networks operating across the Palk Strait. Mandapam Marine Police and state police officials are coordinating with central intelligence agencies to ascertain the motive behind the illegal entry, as the three are alleged to have a criminal background.
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- The Hindu
Coast Guard detains three Sri Lankans who arrived illegally via boat in Danushkodi
RAMESWARAM Two Sri Lankans and one Sri Lankan Tamil arrived illegally via boat in Dhanushkodi on Friday night. As Indian Coast Guard personnel noticed them in the morning, they were taken to their office for investigation. The police identified the men as the two Sri Lankans, V. Smith Rolan Fernando, 43, and M. Mathivilagu Asutha Gunatheela, 35, of Colombo, and one Sri Lankan Tamil — S. Kabilan, 43, of Mullaitivu. Police added that Kabilan was charged for possession of drugs in the Kodikamam police station in Sri Lanka and the other two were suspects in a cheating case. Officials believed that as the accusations against them would be confirmed, fearing repercussions, they had fled their country. As investigation with the trio was under way, whether they would be lodged in prison or repatriated to their country was yet to be decided, sources said.
