The Mangalore police have taken into custody five of the 13 persons arrested for their alleged involvement in trafficking of 84 persons to Australia. Majority of the men and women rescued were Sri Lankan refugees living in Tamil Nadu.

Those taken into custody are: Sri Lankan national Thavarassa (46), Indian national Shajahan (33) from Palakkad in Kerala, Sri Lankan refugees from Tamil Nadu Dinesh Kumar (27) of Nammakal, Yakoob (40) from Kuniyamuthur in Tamil Nadu, and Saleem (28) from Vellore. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Muthuraya said police were collecting more details about earlier attempts to illegally enter Australia.

The city police rescued 84 persons, including 56 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who were planning a risky and illegal sea voyage to Australia. The local police took assistance of their Tamil Nadu counterpart to identify the victims. The Lankan refugees and 21 Indians residing in Tamil Nadu have been sent to that State. The refugees have been handed over to Rehabilitation Commissioner, Chennai. Three of the detained were Tamils living in Kundapur, Karnataka while the remaining four were from Kerala, the police said.

Meanwhile, officials from the Lankan Embassy called the local police to secure details of the case and about the persons who have been arrested. One of the arrested persons is a Sri Lankan. (TheHindu)