The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Material in boat not meant for Tamil Nadu: DGP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 16, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Material in boat not meant for Tamil Nadu: DGP

Special Correspondent

Investigation of the case will be handed over to `Q' branch CID

CHENNAI: The crew and the articles in the boat which was intercepted off Kodiakarai by the Coast Guard on Tuesday was not meant for Tamil Nadu, according to the Director-General of Police, D. Mukherjee.

"The boat came near the Indian territorial waters (27 nautical miles from the shore) only to evade the Sri Lankan Army and the Sri Lankan Navy", he told a press conference here on Thursday.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the boat, registered in Sri Lanka and said to belong to the Sea Tigers Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), had come from Irainaitheevu on its way on the high seas north of Jaffna, was caught by the Coast Guard while evading the surveillance of the Sri Lankan Navy. It was "proceeding to hand over the articles and ammunition to another boat of the LTTE and to bring back certain articles to be handed over from there to Irainaitheevu." It was moving above Jaffna. Among the five arrested, Arumainayagam Purushothaman, was a member of the Sea Tigers and Sivapadmanabhan was a driver in LTTE. Investigation of the case will be handed over to `Q' branch CID.

A search of the mechanised boat by the Coast Guard yielded 17 bags of rice (each weighing 25 kg, according to a senior police officer), seven bags of sugar, vegetables, grocery, salt, about 100 coconuts and ration articles brought from Sri Lanka, and water bottles, all kept in 33 bags, an AK-56 rifle, 126 rounds of ammunition, five hand grenades, an "explosives filled jacket," eight barrels of liquid chemical substances and one satellite phone.

When his attention was drawn to the Coast Guard's version that the boat was headed for Tamil Nadu, Mr. Mukherjee said it was not so. "Why should ration articles be brought to Tamil Nadu," he asked. On whether there was any other evidence, he said the communication gadget seized would be checked. Police investigation had just begun.

To another question onwhy a sudden spurt of nefarious activities was being witnessed of late and the preventive measures, he said that the State had a coastline of 1,076 km. "What is our manpower?" There may be porous spots. There were so many landing points which may not be known without any specific information. Police could not be posted along the entire coastline. The police acted whenever there was specific intelligence. "We do our best. Certain things go without our knowledge."

The five persons arrested were produced before a magistrate at George Town here on Thursday. The court remanded them to judicial custody till March 1.

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