Sri Lanka nets 'illegal migrants'

Sri Lanka's authorities have arrested more than 250 people, thought to be from Pakistan, who they say were trying to migrate to Europe illegally.

Most of those held were picked up by the navy from a cargo vessel off Matara on the southern coast.

Another 71 people were rounded up on a nearby beach.

Tuesday's raid is being described as one of the island's biggest-ever crackdowns on people smuggling.

The cargo boat's Russian captain, Ukrainian deputy and five Georgian crew were also held.

"They were about to go to Italy. We had the ship under surveillance for several days," a police spokesman said.

No help

Sri Lankan Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources Mahinda Wijesekera dismissed media claims that he was involved in the people-smuggling ring.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Wijesekera said that although he was aware of the trawler owners involved in the operation he would not be helping the police to catch them.

He added that young people should be provided with ways of going abroad when there are high rates of unemployment in their home country.

Traffickers are increasingly using Sri Lanka as a transit point to ferry people to Europe, police say.

Last month, police detained 12 Bangladeshis allegedly trying to board a fishing boat bound for Italy.

Twenty-one Pakistanis attempting the same journey were arrested in April.

Huge sums are paid by people trying to escape poverty in South Asia.

A one-way trip on a trawler to Europe or Australia ranges from $1,500-3,000. Citizens of countries in South Asia do not need visas to come to Sri Lanka.