Seven Sri Lankan Tamil refugees arrested by Lanka Navy

Seven Sri Lankan Tamil refugees were arrested by naval personnel of the island nation when they tried to sail to Talaimannar from a refugee camp in Rameswaram, police said.

The navalmen found them near "Seventh Sand dune" and also seized their boat, coastal security police and Q branch police, quoting Sri Lankan officials said tonight.

The refugees would be produced before a magistrate there tomorrow and remanded to judicial custody, they said.

The navalmen also arrested three fishermen from Tamil Nadu who tried to sail back to Rameswaram from the island with conch shells. The fishermen had earlier taken three bags of sea leeches from India to Sri Lanka, they said.