Human Smuggling: Thayakaran Markandu

RCMP Dept: Thayakaran Markandu, a Sri Lankan national, has been charged with human smuggling in connection with the MV Sun Sea, a vessel that brought 492 illegal immigrants to Canada, RCMP said, according to Vancouver Sun. "Obtaining enough evidence to have Mr. Markandu charged is an important step in holding those responsible for perpetrating this human smuggling scheme account-able," RCMP Supt. Derek Sim-monds, the officer in charge of the province's federal border integrity program, said in a statement and the first human smuggling charges have been laid in an incident that brought hundreds of Sri Lankans to the B.C. coast on a cargo ship in the summer of 2010. A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for Markan-du's arrest, but since he is not believed to be in Canada, the RCMP say they are working with international law agencies to locate and arrest him. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.