Human trafficking by Kerala fishing trawlers - southindia - Kerala - ibnlive

Posted on Jun 09, 2011 at 12:01pm IST
 Express News Service , The New Indian Express

KOCHI: Braving rough seas and tiresome voyage of over 5,000 nautical miles, a large number of Sri Lankan Tamils have gone to Australia and South East Asian nations from Kerala in fishing trawlers, operating off Kerala coast.The state police have stumbled upon this fact after they took into custody 17 Lankan Tamils, who included two women and two children, from a lodge in the city on Tuesday. "Interrogation of those in custody has revealed that a large number of persons have already been to Australia and other South East Asian countries from Kerala. The rackets have entered into a tieup with local agents to provide them logistics support," a police official said. He said that a few relatives of those in custody were already in Australia.A police team led by Central Circle Inspector D S Suneesh Babu seized a largesized fishing boat named 'Sea Queen' from Murikumpadam on Wednesday. The boat was arranged to ship the Lankans to Australia.Police said the boat was reportedly bought by a human trafficking agent at a cost of `25 lakh and it had the capacity to carry 50 people and store 8,000 litres of diesel. Police said that the boat, bearing the Lankans would touch the Australian shores in 15 to 20 days.

Police have taken into custody the boat owner identified as John Kennedy of Kollachil.
 "Of the 17 members, four men have been remanded in judicial custody and the rest made witnesses," said the police official. Those remanded were identified as Shivam Pillai, 33, of Arnadhapuram; Nagaranjam, 32, of 21/5 Udayarth Lane, Jaffna; Muruganandam,31, of Epathanavattram, Mannarmavattom, Tesalai; and Kanaka Lingam, 47, of Alardi, Vettikalai. Nagaranjam and Muruganandam were staying at Sri Lankan refugee camps in Tiruchirapalli and Madurai respectively.Police have launched a manhunt to nab the agent who has been identified as Senthiram. A team of intelligence officials has already questioned the persons in custody.Additional Chief Secretary (Home) K Jayakumar said the state police were already aware of the modus operandi of certain rackets which send Tamils to other countries from Kerala coast. "We have alerted the Centre about the development," he said.DGP Jacob Punnoose said the state police have been vigilant on tracking the activities of human trafficking agents in the state.

Human trafficking by Kerala fishing trawlers - southindia - Kerala - ibnlive

Child rights panel asked to probe kids' trafficking

New Delhi, March 31

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to probe the suspected trafficking of children from northeastern states to Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the pretext of educating them.

"We would like to have an inquiry into the matter," said a bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Deepak Verma and Justice B.S. Chauhan.

The bench also asked the child rights panel to apprise the court of its probe report in four weeks. The panel adjourned the matter for next hearing in May.

There is need for some investigation as children belonging to the poor families from northeastern regions were lured by some illegal organisations on the pretext of providing them better education, the bench remarked responding to the submission made by counsel Aparna Bhat in the case.

The apex court was hearing Bhat's application on the issue of recovery of 76 children from Assam and Manipur, who were lodged in an unregistered children's home in Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu.

http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a125221.html