Between July 10 and 17, Sri Lanka Navy arrested six such vessels carrying 293 people.

The Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Rajitha Senaratne has directed the officials to cancel the registration of these fishing trawlers.

The operators of these boats charge the value of the boat from the illegal migrants and give up the boat once they reach their destination, the officials said.

The illegal voyages to Australia have been on the rise at a frenzied pace recently and authorities are focusing attention to the cause for the sudden increase in migration attempts.