Security forces detect explosives in and around Colombo:

Thwarting mayhem and destruction
 

Sunday Crime by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

It has become a scary experience for people to live in and around Colombo following the discovery of explosives at a piggery at Pamunugama last week. The stockpile of explosives include 2 Claymore mines, 2-T-56 assault rifles with 115 ammunition 7 hand grenades, reels of wire, detonators, switches packed in wooden boxes and concealed with coconut husks.

The Special Task Force (STF) commandos acting on a tip off from the public detected the cache of explosives at a farm at Uswetakeiyawa in the nick of time before it was taken elsewhere. The STF Commandos took into custody 18 persons including two females following the detection.

The men and the women were employees of a company based at Pamunugama. The company exported prawns to other countries. Inquiries reveal that the employees were natives of Kokadacholai and other areas in the Batticoloa Province. Police suspect that the persons involved in supplying prawns to the company had brought the stockpile of weapons to Colombo.

In fact this was not the first occasion where the public had tipped off the police regarding such explosives. On previous occasions too the public had co-operated with the police by tipping them regarding explosives smuggled by terrorists. The police too have reciprocated generously by rewarding informants with cash for providing vital information on terrorists activities. This practice had to be encouraged for the public to work closely with the police.

Haul of weapons

Meanwhile the owner of the export company and the piggery have been taken into custody following the haul of weapons found in his premises. It was subsequently learnt that the proprietor of the company, a Sinhalese man had made frequent trips to the north -east earlier in connection with his business matters.

The 18 suspects detained at Pamunugama police have been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) due to the serious nature of the inquiry. Initial investigations were carried out by the Pamunugama Police under the supervision of P. Withana, the Senior Supdt. of Police of the Negombo Division.

Police say that the persons who had brought the explosives to the Piggery have still not been identified. Obviously the explosives were brought there by some one known to the employees to stage an attack in the Pamunugama area or perhaps in Colombo for that matter. Suspicion had fallen on the Naval quarters located in the Bopitiya area.

According to the police someone working in collaboration with a terrorist group may have had a sinister plan to blow up a naval vehicle passing that way. It was also possible that some had a plan to assassinate a VIP or blow up a target in Colombo. However the police haven't found any answers to these queries as yet. But it is likely that the sinister plan will be unravelled in the course of time.

Threats

Meanwhile the Pamunugama area had been in the spotlight in recent times. Two powerful sea mines capable of blowing up ships were found at the Pamunugama sea shore two months ago. The fishermen who noticed the strange looking objects had tipped off the police after they found it on the sea shore.

Today the sea stretch between Pamunugama and Colombo is being patrolled to prevent any terrorist attacks on the Colombo harbour. The security forces too have to be vigilant these days in view of the threat posed by the terrorists to attack Colombo recently.

On August 3 the cache of explosives including two claymore mines weighing 5 kilos, 30 bombs, 150 kilos of TNT explosives, 72 kilos of C-4 explosives 12 hand bombs, 288 pistol ammunition, three T-56 automatic weapons were found concealed in a false bottom of a lorry. The detection was made by officers of the Karandeniya police in the Bentota area. Two persons from the North were arrested following the detection of these weapons. However it is not clear whether these explosives were to be smuggled into Colombo to stage attacks.

On August 13 the Wattala police detected another lorry carrying a stockpile of explosives to Colombo by two suspected LTTE cadres. The cache includes 8 claymore mines, 15 hand bombs, a magnate bomb, two -T-56 rifles, two magazines, a pistol and other accessories.

Imagine the plight of office workers and residents in the metropolis if bombs explode randomly. However our gratitude goes to the police and security forces who have thwarted attempts by terrorists to cause mayhem and destruction.