| Indonesian Police intercepted boat, took 260 Sri Lankan migrants into custody |
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Indonesian police detained about 260 Sri Lankan migrants in the Sunda Strait while attempting to make their way by wooden boat to Australia, AFP reported. Police and the Indonesian Navy had intercepted the boat in the waters off Krakatoa Island at around dawn, Banten Sea Police director Alex Fauzi Rasad said. "The migrants, including women and children, had set off from (the West Kalimantan province of) Pontianak on October 6 and were heading to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean off the Australian mainland," he said.
"We're now taking the boat to port and will investigate the case." Indonesia is a key staging point for people smugglers bringing Afghans and other nationals for a perilous onward sea journey to Australia. So far this year, more than 1500 unauthorised arrivals in Australian waters have been escorted to Christmas Island. The Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans has said that the high number of people fleeing Sri Lanka was chiefly responsible for the "reasonably large" number of unauthorised arrival of boat people in Australian waters this year. |
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