http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201204/20120408alleged_mv_sun_sea_mastermind_arrested_in_france.htm


Sunday, April 08, 2012 - 3.00

Alleged MV Sun Sea mastermind
arrested in France

A Sri Lankan believed to be the mastermind behind the MV Sun Sea human
smuggling case has been arrested in France and will be extradited to Canada, the
RCMP said Thursday.Thayakaran Markandu was arrested this week by French
authorities and Interpol agents who were acting on behalf of the Canadian
government. He was charged last month with organizing the smuggling of 492
people to Canada in August, 2010. Markandu, 40, was arrested without incident,
RCMP said.The Sun Sea smuggling operation became a celebrated case when
Canadian authorities, given advance notice of the ship's departure for Canada,
intercepted the vessel off Vancouver Island and escorted it to Esquimalt
Harbour.Canadian Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney wasted no time in congratulating the arresting
authorities for capturing Markandu. "We would like to take this opportunity
to commend the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Interpol and the French
authorities for their efforts in apprehending Mr. Markandu. Canada is a generous
and compassionate country that welcomes newcomers. But no Canadian thinks it's
acceptable to abuse our immigration system for financial gain through the
despicable crime of human smuggling," the two ministers said in a joint
statement.They also used Markandu's arrest to underscore why they
brought in new immigration rules that are under debate in
Parliament."Our government takes this crime very seriously and that is
why we introduced the Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act. With this new
legislation we are cracking down on human smugglers, including making it easier
to prosecute them, and introducing mandatory minimum sentences."However,
that legislation has also been criticized as unduly harsh for the victims of
human smuggling because it would allow the immigration minister to detain for
one year anyone he has "reasonable grounds to suspect" was
smuggled.According to the National Post, Markandu came to the attention
of police in Thailand in 2010 when he appeared to be organizing a smuggling
operation involving a large vessel. Thai, Canadian and Australian authorities
were led to Markandu while tracking suspected smuggled passengers who were being
moved from Bangkok to southern Thailand.When he was arrested by Royal
Thai police at a Bangkok apartment building, he was using a French passport that
listed his birthplace as Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka.During the raid,
Thai police seized 529 litres of engine lubricant in dozens of plastic oil
drums, sacks of food and engine parts. Police photographed Markandu posing in
front of the supplies.But the arrests resulted only in charges of
improper storage of materials and the men were released after paying a 10,000
Thai Baht fine, about $320.In March of this year, the RCMP charged
Markandu with human smuggling. They said he was living abroad while Mounties
tried to track him down. Markandu faces a maximum of life imprisonment and a
$1-million fine if convicted.