report in The Sunday Observer, Aug 6, 2023
The Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) has been placed on high alert against Sri Lankans leaving the country with doctored foreign visas and passports, recruited by human traffickers in return for large fees, a top official said yesterday.
From the beginning of last week, at least seven people including one woman were taken in for questioning by Immigration Border Service Agents deployed under cover at the BIA, Immigration Controller Harsha Elupitiya said.
All those detected were from the North and are alleged to have given their handlers Rs. 5 million each on the promise of a safe passage to Europe, he said.
“This appears to a part of a wider human trafficking ring operating in the North that has opted for the aerial route owing to the high surveillance of the Navy and Coast Guard in the Palk Straits and elsewhere,” he said.
Hundreds of Sri Lankans are also believed to be travelling to South East Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia where they are later loaded on to boats and head towards the European coast.
“We have well trained Immigration Border Security personnel and they have been placed on top alert throughout the day for such people attempting to leave the country.
However, we cannot stop a legitimate traveller from leaving the country even though there may be suspicions about the person or persons.
“The connivance of some errant officials at the BIA cannot also be ruled out,” he said.
https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2023/08/06/news/bia-officials-placed-high-alert
