Four Sri Lankan Tamils, including two women, were arrested today after they arrived at Tamil Nadu without proper documents in an illegal ferry.

On questioning, the four claimed they were "forced to leave the island nation due to scarcity of food and high price of essential commodities there" said Kennedy, "Q" branch police Inspector.

The four were from different families from Vavuniya and Jaffna in Sri Lanka.

The refugees, Shanthi, Malar, Sabesh and Subbiah, had paid Rs 20,000 each as ferry charges to drop them at Arichal Munai, a sand dune off Danushkodi, said Kennedy.

The four were sent to a refugee camp at Mandapam after registering cases under the Indian Passport Act, he said.