MADURAI: Seven Sri Lankan refugees, including three children of a family, arrived near Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram district in the early hours of Monday seeking asylum.

Inspector of Police S Kanagaraj, Coastal Security Group, Rameswaram, said acting on a tip off, the police found those refugees moving near Dhanushkodi old jetty towards North sea at around 2 am. The economic refugees are of a family from Jaffna in Sri Lanka.

The refugees have been identified as M Nagaraja (43) of Suzhiluram, Jaffna, his wife Vanthini (38), their sons Anojan (13) and Kajivan (9), Ajandhan (18), daughter Dhanushika (4) and Kishalini (17), wife of Ajandhan, sources said.

They were taken to Rameswaram Marine station and were enquired by multi-investigation agencies. Investigations revealed that the refugees shelled out Rs1.5 lakh for a boat voyage from Sri Lanka. The sailor took the refugees in a clandestine manner to Dhanushkodi and left. After completing formal enquiries, the refugees were taken to the Mandapam rehabilitation camp, sources said.