Seven Sri Lankan Tamils registered as refugees in a camp have been arrested when they attempted to go back to their country illegally from nearby Thangachimadam coastal village.

Acting on a tip-off that 13 refugees from the Mandapam camp near Rameswaram were planning to return to Sri Lanka, the local police kept a vigil on Thangachimadam coast and nabbed seven refugees on Saturday night.

Six others escaped on seeing the police, they said.