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Lankans smuggled into western military bases in Iraq, Afghanistan
Authorities have launched an investigation into an alleged multi-million rupee scam involving the smuggling of Sri Lankan workers to U.S. bases in Iraq and NATO bases in Afghanistan, senior officials said yesterday.
Foreign Employment Secretary Nissanka Wijeyratne told the Sunday Times they were probing the activities of an individual, alleged to have amassed millions through his clandestine operations carried out through a third country.
“We are in possession of documentary evidence related to this issue and the matter is under investigation at the highest level by a cross section of the authorities,” he said.
According to Mr. Wijeyratne, copies of the documents that include cleverly doctored entry visas into the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have already been forwarded to the authorities at the Defence, External Affairs Ministry (EAM) and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLFEB).
“According to available information, the workers were first taken to the UAE and later transferred to NATO bases in Afghanistan and Iraq by charter flights that leave Terminal 2 at Dubai International Airport,” he said.
“It was only last month that we set a trap involving the relevant agencies, at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), when a fresh batch of workers were bound for the NATO bases, but the exercise proved futile as no one turned up,” Mr. Wijeyratne added.
Officials at the SLFEB’s Legal Division, said they were also examining the documents, mainly the forged visas, and that, the matter would be shortly handed over to the police for further investigations.
“At the moment, there are only allegations and copies of forged visas for us to go on, but it is a start, and we will probe this down to the wire,” Additional General Manager (AGM) SLFEB Legal Division, M.A.C.K. Pemasiri told the Sunday Times.
“We will also look into allegations that officials at the Bureau may have connived with this particular individual who is alleged to have been operating this racket for the past eight years,” Ms. Pemasiri added.
Head of Approval Division, SLFEB, Kalyani Herath said that, although there is no current ban for Sri Lankans to travel to both these countries, approval for work at NATO bases is yet to be sanctioned.
“It is not clear how these people are getting there, but as far as the SLFEB is concerned, there are no official records to confirm that Lankans had left the country for work in the NATO bases of these two countries. If it is happening at all, then these people are being smuggled through various channels,” Ms. Herath said.
She added that, employment in these two countries are subject to several conditions that include a NATO clearance and a safety insurance cover of US$ 15,000 or Rs 1.9 million per worker, among other requirements.
She added that this is something the Immigration and Emigration authorities should look into more closely because it largely involves the exit point at the BIA.
Immigration Controller Chulananda Perera said that he was not aware of such a smuggling ring, but said that the matter would be investigated once his office is notified towards this end. “As of now, I have not received any information,” he told the Sunday Times.Sources in the foreign employment industry said that this particular individual had several contacts with senior government officials who were allowing him to have a free run, and this has been going on for the past several years.
“It will be damning, should the relevant authorities say they are not aware of this racket. We have time and again raised the matter with the various authorities, even providing them with documents and other evidence, but they opted to remain quiet all these years for reasons known only to them,” the sources said.
They added that the workers were being smuggled out to mainly dodge the pre-conditions, that of the NATO clearance certificate and the massive insurance cover.
“These individuals could also pose a threat to the interests of these bases, as they are not screened and not accounted for at any end.”
EAM Secretary Karunatilleke Amunugama said he was not aware of such a smuggling racket, adding that, the security factor should be the concern of the NATO authorities who are offering employment to these individuals.
However, he added that Colombo’s Mission in Baghdad has had reports of Lankans turning up for employment in military bases in that country. “Their source of entry into the bases is not known, but their presence could be confirmed,” Mr. Amunugama added.
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