Operation 'Strangers Night 3':

Five hardcore LTTEers nabbed

BY SARATH Malalasekera

OVER 900 persons, among them five suspected hardcore LTTEers, were rounded up in a joint Army-Police swoop on suspected terrorist hideouts in the City in Phase three of operation 'Strangers Night' on Saturday.

A lorry load of blood transfusion sets about to be dispatched to the uncleared areas by an organised gang in the Borella Police area was also detected in the operation carried out in 15 Police Divisions in the Colombo District.

"Had this escaped our attention, it would have caused serious health problems to several persons on whom this blood transfusion sets may have been used," Colombo DIG Pujit Jayasundera told the Daily News yesterday.

Four persons were arrested and detained until the completion of the investigations in connection with the blood transfusion sets, the Colombo DIG said.

On the direction of Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando, 'Strangers Night Three' was led by Colombo DIG Pujit Jayasundera in which 920 persons were arrested.

They included 80 women, who allegedly failed to provide valid reasons for their stay in Colombo.

The persons arrested had been screened by Police and the Intelligence Bureaus of the Three Forces. Five are hardcore members of the LTTE who had sought temporary lodgings in Modera and Kotehena Police areas.

"Police obtained detention orders until the conclusion of investigations in connection with these LTTE suspects," DIG Jayasundera said yesterday.

'Strangers Night One and Two' were conducted recently in the Colombo South Police area where several wanted men were taken into custody. These suspects had also been detained until the completion of the investigations, DIG Jayasundera said.

All suspects taken into custody had been fingerprinted, footprinted and photos obtained. The data have been supplied to the intelligence divisions, the Colombo DIG added.

Senior DIG Sirisena Herath is In-Charge of the Range One Division including the Colombo District.

Colombo DIG Jayasundera thanked the Armed Forces who provided the police assistance in the operation in Colombo. The Armed Forces cordoned off areas without allowing any persons to leave the area until the operation was completed, he said.