Department of Immigration and Emigration flying squad nabbed seven Indian nationals last week, who were employed as labourers at a leading construction site in Wattala defying their visa conditions. Following a tip-off, the department’s investigation wing raided a construction site of an apartment blocks maintained by a leading construction agency in the country from Kerawalapitiya in Wattala.

When searched the site the sleuths found seven Indian nationals who were employed as labourers had been remaining in the country even after their visa had expired.

According to Immigration sources foreigners had reportedly arrived in Sri Lanka on a 30-day business visa and had engaged in employment violating its conditions. They had however, overstayed the designated visa period too. All the foreigners who were in 35 to 40 years of age had been taken into Immigration custody and were to be transferred to its Detention Centre in Mirihana. Their passports were impounded by the authorities.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the foreigners had arrived in the country from southern states of India, having applied their visa through online system.

They would be detained at the camp until they prepare their return air tickets to be repatriated from the country. Assistant Controller M. G. V. Kariyawasam and the team from Investigation Division conducted the detection on the instructions of Immigration and Emigration Controller General Pasan Ratnayake. (Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana)