Intelligence officers in Papua New Guinea arrested twelve Sri Lankans who were allegedly planning to travel to Australia on false documents, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported yesterday.

The 12, all men, were arrested in a Port Moresby hotel by Papua New Guinea’s National Intelligence Organisation (NIO). They are said to be between the ages of 30 and 35.

The NIO says they were planning to travel to Ausralia via PNG’s Western province near the PNG-Australia border.

Intelligence officers have questioned the men, who they allege arrived in PNG this week on falsified tourist visas.

The NIO claims the men are members Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam, who were on the run from a major offensive against the Tigers by the Sri Lankan government, ABC reported.