Inside Story: Sri Lanka Navy involvement in Human Smuggling

by A Special Defence Correspondent

(February 24, 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The shocking information of human trafficking by members of the Sri Lanka Navy has come to light with shocking detail. While talking to the Sri Lanka Guardian exclusively, senior serving officers of the intelligence community have revealed the name of those officers involved in this shameless game of trading human beings.

Here is the brief outline;

The Sri Lanka Navy, one-time one of most respected security forces in the Island nation, had kept their eyes on those who were engaged in human smuggling in last decades. Therefore the senior officers were able to crack down on many illegal boats which were involved in human smuggling. Some of those boats were heading to Italy while others were going to other parts of the world with larger number of illegal migrants.

However, after the civil war the interest of going to Australia increased among the general population. The Navy officers were interested in making some extra money by helping those who are engaged in this illegality.

There were two groups within the Sri Lanka Navy headed by senior officers; one of them was led by a one-time media spokesperson. The second group was led by one Lieutenant Commander, who is planning to leave the country so then he could escape persecution. Those two groups were involved the human smuggling in last few years in which they were earned enormous amount of money.

Apart from those two groups, there was a group headed by senior intelligence officials of the Navy which was monitoring and measuring the illegal involvement of their colleagues. Two intelligence officers informed their superiors but unfortunately they were instructed to remain silent and no direct action was taken against them.

“Let the buggers go. If possible make a hole in the boat”, was the answer by the top official in a meeting where they discussed the nightmare.

Despite the strong warnings by the intelligence community, those two teams were able to do their human trafficking with the political blessings. As we pointed earlier, the first team which was headed by former spokesperson of the Navy was able to collect money from the people and organise the boats whereas the second team was only collecting the money from the people.

During last three years there were more than 120 boats with illegal immigrants departing for Australia, and more than 60 boats were arrested by the Navy. Those two teams collected the ransom from arrested boats and released them while the boats which they organised were protected till they departed the boundaries.

Now the leader of the first team is breaking the ground and revealing the crimes that he and his colleagues were involved in. As the result of that, secret camps where numerous Tamil people were held and kidnapping dozens of Tamil youth for ransom was exposed.

The Sri Lanka navy was heavily politicised by the former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa therefore it has lost it spirits and dignity. The former President sent the most senior officials on compulsory retirement.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa maintained the cordial relationship with Canberra government headed by Premier Mr. Tony Abbott. Abbott gave materials donations to the Rajapaksa government, to crack down the illegal migrants and his foreign minister made a surprised secret mission to Sri Lanka months back.

However, it’s none other than the navy officers; those who maintained close relationship with the Rajapaksa government that organised this human smuggling project.

Related Story: Sri Lanka Navy officer in human smuggling plans to flee