9 kgs. of high powered explosives detected in Dehiwela

Rafik Jalaldeen

DEHIWELA: Another LTTE attempt to cause mayhem in the city was averted by the detection 9 kg of explosives near the railway track at the two different locations in the Dehiwela coastal area last morning, police spokesman Senior DIG Jayantha Wickramaratne said. The detection followed a tip off by a civilian.

According to DIG Wickramaratne, 7 kg of C4 explosives which were concealed in 14 small packets were uncovered by the Dehiwela police around 9.40 am. “The C4 explosives were found on a grassy patch by the railway line near Frazier Avenue in Dehiwela”, he added.

A mobile phone was also found on the spot along with the explosive packets. “We suspect that the LTTE arranged for the explosives to be triggered off by the mobile phone,” he said.

Following a subsequent search operation, the Dehiwela police recovered a further 2kg of C4 explosives hidden in a thicket around 100 metres away from the coastal area in Dehiwela. “The high powered explosives were packed in four boxes each weighing 500 g. The police recovered a total of 18 boxes with 500 g C4 explosives in each box,” the DIG said.

The Army bomb disposal squad were called to the scene.

“The LTTE continues its ruthless campaign to slaughter innocent civilians.