6 refugees held for attempting to escape to Lanka illegally in TN

MADURAI: Six refugees have been arrested by 'Q' division officials for their alleged plan to illegally escape to Sri Lanka from Velankanni in Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu, the police said on Wednesday. They were arrested from a hostel in Velankanni during a raid.

The arrested refugees were identified as Kanujan (34), Jenibarraj (23), Dinesh (18), Bhuvaneshwari (40), Dushyanthan (36), and Satheeswaran (32), they added. On interrogation, the accused revealed that they were planning to escape to Sri Lanka in an illegal powerboat owned by one Selvam of Poombuhar area of Mayiladuthurai district, Tami Nadu.

It was revealed that they had left their camp for the last few days and had taken rooms at Velankanni. They told the police that they had agreed to pay Rs 17 lakh rupees to Selvam to go to Sri Lanka.

Subsequently, the police confiscated Rs 17 lakh that had been paid to escape in the illegal boat. Nagaipattinam Q Division police are investigating the 6 refugees for further details.

Further investigation is underway.