Mangalore:  Five of the 13 persons arrested on the charges of human trafficking have been remanded to police custody by the JMFC Court o September 11, Tuesday.

Those  in police custody now are Sri Lankan national Thavarassa (46), Indian national Shajahan (33) from Palakkad in Kerala, Sri Lankan refugees from Tamil Nadu Dinesh Kumar (27) of Nammakal, Yakoob (40) from Kuniyamuthur in Tamil Nadu and Saleem (28) from Vellore.

Mutturaya, DCP(Law and Order) who is investigating this first ever case of major human trafficking reported from Mangalore wherein over 80 persons were rescued, has said that the police  were trying to gather information on the earlier attempts made by the traffickers. It may be recalled here that the human trafficking case was bursted  before the accused could take almost 84 persons on a risky and illegal sea voyage to Australia. A total of 56 Lankan refugees and 21 Indians residing in Tamil Nadu have been sent to Tamil Nadu where they have been entrusted to the custody of Rehabilitation Commissioner, Chennai.

The remaining eight traffickers are in judicial custody.Police have seized 25 kg of rice, pulses, pickles and vegetables form the boat which was supposed to take the refugees to Australia