Police nab LTTE medical supplier

Rafik JALALDEEN

*Drugs, medical items worth Rs. 2.5 m seized from Wellawatte house

*Suspect had links with LTTE medical wing Head

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) arrested a director of a leading pharmaceutical company in Wellawatte for having connections with the LTTE and seized a stock of medical items valued at around Rs.2.5 million which were prepared to be sent to the LTTE.

Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said the stock of drugs and medical items meant for the LTTE were recovered by the TID hidden inside a house in Perera Avenue, Wellawatte on Monday night.

“The TID also nabbed a suspect along with the medical items,” SSP Gunasekera added.

He said more than 32 medical items and drugs valued around Rs.2.5 million were seized by the TID. “These medical items were meant to be sent to the LTTE during the last leg of fighting in the Vanni,” he added.

He noted that the suspect had kept close links with the LTTE including LTTE medical wing Chief Selvanayagam Kugarajan alias Manoj.

“It was revealed that the suspect kept a close relationship with the chief of the LTTE medical wing and had provided millions of rupees worth medical supplies to LTTE cadres on many occasions,” the SSP said.

The TID nabbed the suspect following information and evidence of his involvement in supplying medical items to the LTTE.

It is believed that the suspect was preparing to send the medical items to the Vanni during the last phase of battle.

He failed to do so due to intensified security in the area.

The LTTE ran short of medicine to treat their wounded cadres in the Vanni jungle before they were defeated by the Security Forces.

Therefore, the LTTE cadres were grabbing the medical items dispatched by the government and international organizations to the trapped civilians.