Four Arrested for Role in Tamil Migrant Smuggling

The RCMP herald the first charges against human smugglers linked to Tamil migrants who illegally arrived in Canada.

Four men have been arrested in Toronto on charges of human smuggling for their alleged role in bringing 76 Sri Lankan migrants to Canada aboard a small ship two years ago. The RCMP say the men are linked to the MV Ocean Lady, which arrived just off the shores of Vancouver Island in October 2009, stuffed with Tamil migrants who would later claim refugee status, with most of them settling in Toronto shortly after. The migrants each paid thousands of dollars for passage on the ship. The men who were charged are believed to include the captain of the ship, Hamalraj Handasamy, and the man on board who arranged the journey, Vignarajah Thevarajah.