About 90 percent of the arrested were Tamils and about 8 percent are Muslims, the spokesman has revealed.
Sri Lanka police have prevented over 700 people illegally migrating to Australia this year, police media spokesman Superintendent of Police Ajith Rohana has said.
Participating in a radio program at state-run radio SLBC, the spokesman has said that from January this year the police have arrested more than 700 Sri Lankans who attempted to migrate overseas.
About 90 percent of the arrested were Tamils and about 8 percent are Muslims, the spokesman has revealed.
Sri Lanka Navy yesterday intercepted two trawlers sailing to Australia with 82 people on board and arrested the illegal migrants.
Earlier this month the police foiled an attempt and arrested 41 people in Wakarai of Eastern Province and in May Colombo Fraud Bureau of arrested 119 persons including seven traffickers who were attempting to illegally sail to Australia in a fishing trawler.
Sri Lanka also brought back over 200 illegal migrants who got detained by the authorities in Togo while they were on their way to Canada.
The police spokesman has requested the general public not to be deceived by the traffickers who reportedly earn millions through smuggling people.
(CP)