Colombo: A major human trafficking network
involving Sri Lankans has been unearthed in a multi-national
operation, including Finnish, French and Belgian police, the
government here said on Saturday.
"The network is suspected of facilitating the illegal
entry of people from Sri Lanka to France, frequently using a
route through the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Tanzania,
Turkey and Finland," the government said.
So far a total of 27 suspects have been arrested and
interrogated in Finland, France and Belgium.
The main target was arrested on Sunday in Saran, France
after case originated from an investigation initiated by the
Finnish Border Guard in December 2010 over the arrival at
Helsinki Vantaa airport of two females with counterfeit Indian
passports.
They had been accompanied by an Indian male.
Some of the illegals had used counterfeit British
passports produced in Thailand to travel to Canada.
So far over 50 facilitators were discovered in the course
of this investigation.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, February 11, 2012, 00:14