Suspect was Tiger cadre, say Police

By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe

The suspect with some powerful communication equipment in his possession, taken into custody last Tuesday near the bus stand at Chilaw, was an LTTE cadre, police said. The Chilaw police intelligence unit said the identity card found in his possession indicated that he was Punni Murthi Nayananandan, a resident of Paththankulam in Vavuniya.

It was found that the suspect was travelling in a luxury bus bound for Chilaw from Colombo, when a passenger who had his suspicions aroused reported him to the police via his mobile phone. When the suspect had alighted from the bus at Chilaw and was walking away with his two bags intelligence unit officers had arrested him, police said.

The search revealed 100 walkie talkies and six global positioning equipment hidden under packets of sugar, tea, soap and milk powder. Police said he had admitted that the items were to be taken to Vavuniya while the consumable items were placed to hide the presence of the communication equipment.

He was identified as an LTTE intelligence unit member who had followed a course in human rights at the Colombo campus.