The Sri Lanka Navy today said it had arrested 88 Australia-bound illegal immigrants.

A trawler carrying the migrants was detected 220 nautical miles south of the southern port city of Galle, naval spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said.

They are being escorted to Galle harbour and will be handed over to authorities tomorrow, he said.

The detention of the illegals migrants followed yesterday's arrest of 36 migrants who were trying to travel to Australia.

They were arrested in the western town of Ragama and have been remanded till August 16 by courts, police said.(PTI)