The police in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu say they have arrested five memebers of the LTTE with material for making bombs destined for the rebels in Sri Lanka.
The police say they have arrested four more since the arrest on Wenesday of Vellaichamy Prabhakaran, a 39 years old who they say is a sympathiser of the LTTE.
He was seized at his residence in Tuticorin along with three tonnes of ball bearings, used in the making of bombs.
BBC correspondent in South India say, the ball bearings were meant for transhipment to Sri Lanka, according to what he was told by the police.
This is the first time that a seizure of ball bearings on such a scale has been reported.
60 gunny bags of ball bearings
The bearings were found in 60 gunny bags and seized from Prabhakaran's residence in Tuticorin in the southern part of the state.
The police say they believe the group belongs to the Tamil National Movement, a pro-LTTE movement.
Police in Chennai have also issued a statement saying that earlier on 23rd January, two vehicles were intercepted and 40 gunny bags containing iron balls 8 mm in diameter, weighing two tonnes, were seized and five Sri Lankan Tamils and three Indians were arrested.
Cases under the Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act have been registered against them. They have all been remanded in custody.
The iron balls were meant for transhipment to Sri Lanka, the statement says. It was on basis of the information provided by those arrested in Chennai that Prabhakaran of Tuticorin was taken into custody, the statement adds.
The police say they have arrested four more since the arrest on Wenesday of Vellaichamy Prabhakaran, a 39 years old who they say is a sympathiser of the LTTE.
He was seized at his residence in Tuticorin along with three tonnes of ball bearings, used in the making of bombs.
BBC correspondent in South India say, the ball bearings were meant for transhipment to Sri Lanka, according to what he was told by the police.
This is the first time that a seizure of ball bearings on such a scale has been reported.
60 gunny bags of ball bearings
The bearings were found in 60 gunny bags and seized from Prabhakaran's residence in Tuticorin in the southern part of the state.
The police say they believe the group belongs to the Tamil National Movement, a pro-LTTE movement.
Police in Chennai have also issued a statement saying that earlier on 23rd January, two vehicles were intercepted and 40 gunny bags containing iron balls 8 mm in diameter, weighing two tonnes, were seized and five Sri Lankan Tamils and three Indians were arrested.
Cases under the Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act have been registered against them. They have all been remanded in custody.
The iron balls were meant for transhipment to Sri Lanka, the statement says. It was on basis of the information provided by those arrested in Chennai that Prabhakaran of Tuticorin was taken into custody, the statement adds.
