Indian Coast Guard seized Lankan boat with arms
February 14, Indian armed forces that is responsible for coastal defense off the Kodiakkari coast in Indian waters seized Lankan boat with arms, ammunition, AK-57 assault riffle, a suicide belt bomb, and eight drums of liquid chemical used to make explosives. Two Indians and three Sri Lankans were in the boat have been arrested.
Rajendra Singh, Regional Commander, Coast Guard, Eastern Region said that the arrested people were not identified as LTTE militants or as a terror. Mr.Singh said that the investigation would beignby the intelligence tean of the Centre, State, Navi and coast guard.
Singh said that the boat did not have any documents ans was not registered in Tamilnadu. He said tha the fact that the catch was significant , because of the presence of suicide belt bomb in the boat. On the radar of Coast guard Ship (CGS) Ramadevi spotted the 22-foot boat. singh said that the ship’s commanding officer B.S.Lothario could identify that the boat was a powerful one and it was disguised like a normal fishing boat.
On sighting the coast guard ship, the boat equipped with five on-board and an in-board engine, tried to run away. At first, the Coast Guard officials suspected that the arms were headed for Cuddalore. The boat was trying to smuggle in arms and ammunition, including an AK 56 assault rifle with 124 rounds of ammunition, a suicide belt, five detonatos, five hand grenades and eight drums of 55 litres each of liquid chemical.
The Regional Commander of the armed forces that is responsible for coastal defense Rajendra Singh said that the arrested persons would be handed over to Tamil Nadu police.
