"With security tightened in the coastal belts, persons supplying explosives and essential commodities to the LTTE are using services of parcel offices to smuggle the contraband", Indian News sources reported citing a top Indian Police official yesterday (June 8).
This seizure was made following the arrest of a Sub- Inspector attached to the Tirunaveli, Armed Reserve Police and two others in connection with the supply of country made fire arms and bullets to some unknown individuals.
According to an official of the Q-branch, the special wing dealing with terrorist activities, the items are sent by parcel to Ramanathapuram from where it would be smuggled to the LTTE.
Investigations are on to confirm whether the ammunition was kept for supply to LTTE. After interrogating three persons including a Sub-Inspector, the branch seized huge quantities of copper wires, rewinding machines and Nylon from a Parcel office at Paramakudi about 40 km from Ramanathapuram, meant for the LTTE, the official was quoted as saying.
The Q Branch Inspector said eight bundles of copper wire, 10 baskets of nylon materials, a motor rewinding machine, nine bundles of special wire for rewinding mini-motors, 1,000 battery cells and Indian Rs. one lakh worth of cosmetics were seized.
This is the first time that the police have come across smuggling goods for the LTTE through regular transport parcel service, a top official said. Meanwhile, nearly 40 kg of ammunition have been recovered from the campus of the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (SIPCOT) at Gummidipoondi in Thiruvallur district, the police said on Sunday.
Police said the ammunition, kept in gunny bags, was found near a well in the campus. Police had searched the area following a minor explosion on Saturday in which two Sri Lankan Tamil refugees sustained "minor" injuries. Babu (14) and Jemon (16) of a nearby refugee camp were injured after a heap of scrap metal dumped near the well, where they went to take bath, caught fire and exploded. They were admitted to a government hospital here.
A lot of scrap melting units functioned in the campus where majority of the workers were Sri Lankan refugees, police said.
The owners of the units, which imported iron and aluminium scrap, were being questioned, police said.
The recovered ammunition had been sent for a detailed examination. Meanwhile, police started pumping out water from the well to search for more ammunition, police said.
Courtesy : Zee News
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