Canadian court acquits four Sri Lankan men accused of human smuggling

Vancouver: A Canadian court on Thursday has acquitted four Tamil Sri Lankan asylum seekers accused of smuggling refugees on a ship to British Columbia shores nearly nine years ago.

A British Colombia Supreme Court judge has acquitted four Sri Lankan men on charges of human smuggling in relation to the arrival of 76 Tamil migrants on the MV Ocean Lady ship in October of 2009, CBC News reported.

The ramshackle vessel traveled across the Pacific Ocean for an estimated 45 days before it arrived in B.C. in October of 2009.

In June 2011 Canadian authorities have arrested four people aboard the ship - Francis Anthonimuthu, Hamalraj Handasamu, Jeyachandran Kanagarajah, and Vignarajh Thevarajah and charged with human smuggling.

The four men were among the 76 Tamil refugees arrived in British Columbia on a modified Thai cargo ship, MV Ocean Lady in October 2009. Canadian authorities seized the ship and detained the refugees on board.

On Thursday, Justice Arne Silverman found all of them not guilty.

Justice Silverman in his 57-page decision said he is satisfied that the sole motive that each of them had was, through mutual aid, to get themselves to Canada. Justice Silverman said there was not enough evidence to prove the Crown lawyers argument that the men orchestrated the voyage to make a profit, claiming they collected money from passengers.

“While there is evidence of organised crime, I am not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the activities of any of these four accused were connected to it,” the judge said.