TN family held for illegal stay in Sri Lanka

The family, which consists of a 61-year-old woman, her 34-year-old daughter and her two children, said they had entered Sri Lanka on May 6 with the help of fishermen. Ajith Rohana, deputy inspector general of police, said the members of the family were arrested at Gurunagar area in Jaffna for their illegal stay in the country and violating the immigration and quarantine laws.

“They had arrived from India on May 6 on an Indian boat halfway and had travelled the rest of the way aboard a Sri Lankan fishing boat,” Rohana said.

He said the family belonged to Rameswaram in India and were being made to undergo the coronavirus screening test to check if they were infected with the contagious infection.

The arrest came as the Sri Lanka Navy said early this month that they had increased surveillance in the north and northeastern seas to check the possible arrival of COVID-infected fishermen.