38 Sri Lankan nationals staying illegally in Mangaluru arrested
Mangaluru, June 11: Thirty-eight Sri Lankan nationals have been arrested for illegally staying here for over a month now, police said.
The arrests were made by the City Crime Branch from private lodges and houses based on a tip-off from the Tamil Nadu police and intelligence agencies, the police said.
The illegal immigrants were said to have been trafficked into India with the promise of jobs in Canada, they said.
As per preliminary investigation, the Sri Lankan nationals were first brought to Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu by boat around March 17, and were supposed to travel to Canada by sea thereafter, they said.
However, due to strict vigilance during Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu at that time, the Lankans were shifted to Bengaluru and then to Mangaluru by road, the police said.
The Lankans were said to have paid up to Rs 10 lakh Sri Lankan rupees to the agent for facilitating their travel to Canada, they said.
The illegal migrants were living in Mangaluru claiming to be daily wage workers and fishermen from Tamil Nadu.
Six locals, who were helping them with food and stay in the city have also been arrested, the police said.
A case has been registered under various sections of IPC, Foreigners Act and Passport Act, and further investigation is on, they added.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
