Minister of Labor Nimal Siripala de Silva today (19) stated that he strongly condemns the recent death threats made by a deputy agent to the President of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies M. Farooz Marikkar. The minister said it was "a very serious matter" and that members of ALFEA, along with the Foreign Employment Bureau and Ministers, were trying to attack and threaten Marikkar by stopping his sources of income. The Minister said that he was confident that certain gangs that had sent migrant workers abroad for employment in various countries without registration with the Bureau of Foreign Employment through illegal means and other strategies were now taking action against the ALFEA organization. The Minister said that he had received reports that Marikkar had been assaulted by a group of people who were outraged by the special arrangements made at the Katunayake Airport to prevent such workers from going abroad. “Government registered agents are a group that works legally with the government, it is their responsibility to provide their security and therefore I am committed on behalf of Marikkar and other leaders of the organization against these racketeers,” he stated. According to the General Manager of the Foreign Employment Bureau, retired Brigadier Mahinda Hathurusa, the person involved in the attack on DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon has already been arrested for assaulting Marikkar, the Minister said. The Minister further said that maximum measures will be taken to stop the deportation of workers in our country through illegal and subtle means in spite of any threats.