Catholic Pastor arrested while smuggling GPSs and I-com sets- Katunayake
The Bandaranaike International Air Port (BIA) custom officials Friday (Sep 5), arrested a Catholic Pastor while attempting to smuggle inland, 30 odd communication equipment and other accessories.
According to the Air Port officials, the pastor was arrested on precise intelligence information received, who had brought in 40 Gamin type GPSs with catalogues and 30 other I-com equipment with antennas and accessories inside two speakers.
The equipment were neatly stuffed inside the speakers BIA customs said, adding that LTTE may be well behind this, as the organization is well known in manipulating 'humanitarian' faces to defy the world.
Further investigations are been continued by the customs and Police, the sources said.
NEWS 1
Cache of LTTE items uncovered from the St.Mary's Church- Jaffna
The SL Army Troops uncovered a cache of terrorist items from the St. Mary's Church and handed over to the Jaffna Police, on Tuesday the 20th of February, at 11.55a.m.
According to the military sources the investigations were initiated on a request made by the Jaffna Bishop, through information received from a Priest at the St. Mary's Church.
Following is the list of items uncovered by the SL security forces.
a. 07 x Hand Grenades.
b. 03 x Cyanide Capsules.
c. 01 x ICOM Radio set.
d. 03 x Harness Packs.
e. 03 x Pairs of Jungle boot.
f. 02 x Pairs of Black canvas shoes.
g. 01 x Pouch.
h. 02 x Pairs of socks.
The table below provides the evidence for LTTE activities that particularly concentrated around religious places in the north and east areas.
The Date
Incident
23rd December 2005
LTTE attacked the naval convoy killing 13 naval personnel, with a claymore mine close to the Pesalai Church. No trace of the attackers could be found, despite the cordon search immediately laid excluding the religious establishment. It shall be noted that Mannar is a small Island that security forces almost know each permanent resident by their names. Thus, it is very unlikely to an intruder to hide himself in the civilian community without getting noticed by the security forces.29th December 2005
Naval route clearing party found two claymore mines planted on a Palmyrah tree close to the Bishops house. The remote control device and the other accessories though found the attackers could not be traced. However, two LTTE cadres on motor bike were arrested along with a video camera opposite the Bishops house. The two suspects admitted that they were LTTE cadres and told the police that they had been assigned to video the scene following the bomb explosion .The two LTTE cadres are still in the police custody.14th January 2005
The naval troops recovered remote control accessories used for clay more mines; within 10 meters form the Pesalai church premises. The area commander Mannar along with few other senior military officers were scheduled to arrive to the location to have a meeting with the Bishop. 21st January 2006
Three claymore mines were found in the Pathima government school premises Pesalai, close to the same Pesalai church.From the contents of the table above, it is crystal clear that the LTTE has been very fond of choosing their attacks near the churches particularly in north east for unknown reasons
LTTE turns a Hindu Temple to an armoury - Kayts
The media Center for National Security (MCNS) says Police have uncovered a haul of arms and ammunition hidden inside the Amman Kovil (Hindu Temple) at Velanithurai in the Kayts Island. The items were found during a combine search operation carried out by SL navy and Police personnel last morning (Wednesday 2 May).
According to the MCNS, the deadly weapons were carefully concealed above the Statues of Hindu gods by the LTTE terrorists. Two priests of the temple were also taken to the police custody.
Acting on civilian tip-off police carried out the search and the list of items found are as follows:
Item
Quantity Claymore mine 1 Anti personnel mines 3 C-4 High explosives 900 g T-56 live ammunition 150 Electric detonators 24 IEDs (1 kg each) 3 Fuses 3 Military pack 1 Meanwhile, the civilians and religious leaders express their utter contempt over the LTTE for depraving religious places for their sinister deeds. A Hindu priest speaking in anonymity told defence.lk correspondent in Jaffna that the LTTE have threatened many a religious leaders in the area to assist their operations. "Now, the LTTE cadres can not operate amongst civilians anymore. If they are seen, the civilians do not hesitate to report to the security forces. It is why they have chosen religious places as their hideouts," he further added.
The MCNS report complied on the recent LTTE activities at places of worship is given below:
On 29th April, when naval troops were about to enter the Amman Kovil Puliyankadak premises to conduct a search operation LTTE cadres opened fire from inside the Temple. The search operation was conducted on information received from a civilian. 5 LTTE cadres who were inside the Kovil were killed in the confrontation including the LTTE leader of the Jaffna Islands. The Navy recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the Kovil premises.
Last March, Father Emilius Pillai of the Madu Church accused the LTTE of continuously kidnapping children and youths among displaced people taking refuge in the Madu church premises, despite repeated warnings not to do so. By entering, a place of worship LTTE cadres has violated the sanctity of the church he further said
On 17th February 2007, the LTTE targeting a police water bouser detonated a claymore mine which was fixed to a coconut tree opposite the Sivam Kovil in Pandarikulam, Vavuniya.
Three days later, on an information received from the Bishop of Jaffna about a suspicious bag inside St. Mary's church, troops recovered 7 hand grenades, 3 cyanide capsules, a communication set, 3 pairs of jungle boots, 4 pouches and 3 packs from the location.
The Hindu priest, Selliah Parameshwaram Gurukkal (61) who blessed His Excellency the President on his visit to Vakarai was assassinated by the LTTE terrorists in Batticaloa on 7th February.
In January this year, troops on a tip off from a civilian recovered a T-56 assault rifle and ammunition from a Kovil in Kokuvil in Jaffna.
