15 Sri Lankan Nationals Sentenced for Attempted Illegal Migration
The investigation found that they had left their designated refugee camps in Tamil Nadu without permission from the competent authorities and travelled beyond their permitted jurisdictions as part of a plan to migrate illegally to Canada
Kochi: A court in Kochi has sentenced 15 Sri Lankan nationals to 15 days of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each for attempting to illegally migrate to Canada by trying to board a vessel from Kollam.
The Special Court for NIA Cases sentenced the accused after they pleaded guilty to charges under the Foreigners Act. Judge Hafees Mohammed pronounced the order.
According to the prosecution, the accused were residing in various Sri Lankan rehabilitation and refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, including Puzhal (Chennai), Tiruchirappalli, Dindigul, Madurai and Tirunelveli.
The investigation found that they had left their designated camps without permission from the competent authorities and travelled beyond their permitted jurisdictions as part of a plan to migrate illegally to Canada.
They attempted to board a vessel from Vaaddy Harbour in Kollam before being caught by the police in 2023.
The case was later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Kochi, which filed the final report before the court.
The accused, represented by counsel and assisted by Malayalam translation, voluntarily pleaded guilty to offences under various provisions of the Foreigners Act.
Considering the nature of the offences and the period the accused had already spent in custody during the proceedings, the court sentenced each of them to 15 days of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000.
They will undergo an additional 15 days of imprisonment each if they fail to pay the fine.
The court directed that a copy of the judgment be forwarded to the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) in Thiruvananthapuram for further necessary action.