Informants on terrorist activity will be fittingly rewarded - IGP

Rafik Jalaldeen

COLOMBO: IGP Chandra Fernando said the public will be rewarded when they assist the Security Forces while severe punishment awaits those who associate with terrorists.

At a press conference that followed the presenting of rewards to informants on the terrorist activity in Pamunugama at the Police Headquarters on Monday,the police chief requested the public to always be vigilant especially after the abortive attack on Naval craft by the LTTE in Pamunugama on Saturday. He requested the public not to offer any assistance or accommodation to persons without knowing their identification.

"Following information received from the residents of the area, we arrested the suspects. Investigations reveal that they are well-trained Sea Tigers from Mullaitivu, operating under the command of Soosai. These well-trained Sea Tigers were sent by their leader Soosai to attack the Navy vessels that are on daily patrol on the Wattala-Kalpitiya sea coast", IGP Fernando said.

Six informants were rewarded on Monday at the Police Headquarters. "These people prevented a disaster. They acted with a sense of duty and responsibility and are being fittingly rewarded while the LTTE terrorists will be rewarded by the law", stressed the IGP Fernando.

An 8 magnitude mine filled with C4 high explosive brought by the LTTE found in the sea off Wennapupuwa was seized following a tip off from the public. Investigations revealed that the terrorists had received training in the Mullaitivu sea strip and received orders from Soosai to target the Navy craft. The Sea Tigers were well-trained to destroy the target, DIG (CID) Ashoka Wijethilaka said."

We also arrested five sinhala residents of the area for offering accommodation and helping the terrorists. He said investigations were continuing with more suspects to be arrested, he added. "The LTTE fiberglass boat failed to reach the target. The boat was built at a Boat Company in Negombo and was taken to Arippu to fill the C4 high explosive material, and 98kg of C4 explosive material was filled up under the fibre of the boat.

This was carefully designed to resemble a fishing boat in order to avoid suspicion. A grenade was fixed to the boat to explode in the event of the boast being subjected to a check, STF Chief DIG Nimal Lewke said.

The suicide boat was heading from Kalpitiya to Negombo targeting the Navy vessel which was on a routine patrol. "The boat was floating in a suspicious way in the seas off Kalpitiya which caught the attention of a fisherman who rushed to the police with the information. The LTTE cadre who was on board has been arrested and taken into custody, he added.

"According to the evidence we believe that there will be another suicide boat in Negombo area. The Sea Tigers who were arrested were armed with a Rambo type knife which was used to clean the magnitude mines.

The investigation team is searching for the missing boat", said DIG Lewke.

"We strengthened security in the sea and we have deployed more Naval vessels to conduct daily patrols.

We have to keep our sea strip from destruction by the LTTE", IGP Fernando said.