Over the past six months the Navy had apprehended over 500 such illegal immigrants in Sri Lankan waters who had paid large sums of money to these human smugglers to transport them to Australia.

They are from the North, Chilaw and Negombo areas.

It has been revealed that these human smugglers charge hundreds of thousands of rupees from these people.

The Criminal Investigation Department is carrying out a special investigation on the persons arrested while attempting to migrate illegally .