Navy prepares to haul in Avant Garde and Mahanuwara weaponry

by Ranil Wijayapala

The CID is awaiting the Government Analyst’s report on the defaced serial numbers of the weapons on-board the floating armoury, Avant Garde to initiate legal action, CID sources told the Sunday Observer.

However, sources said any legal action will be taken based on the AG’s advice after completing the investigations.

Investigations revealed that Avant Garde had 813 weapons on board out of which more than 53 weapons were reportedly had defaced serial numbers. The CID has sought assistance from the Government Analysts Department to retrace the serial numbers.

Meanwhile, the source added that weapons with defaced serial numbers was a serious criminal offence under the Firearms Act and it can be dealt in court since it was claimed that the weapons on the vessel belonged to Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Ltd (RALL)

RALL was using weapons issued to them by the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Police as a Defence Ministry owned company and were also renting out weapons to sea marshals.

The Sri Lankan Navy has commenced preparations at its Southern Naval Command to bring in a cache of weapons and ammunition from Avant Garde and Mahanuwara vessels, Navy Spokesperson Captain Akram Alwi told the Sunday Observer.

The Navy Spokesman said weapons on Mahanuwara will be stored at the Sri Lanka Naval Base Dhakshina armoury at the Galle harbour.

“It is a long process as the Navy had to take down serial numbers of the weapons and other equipment belonging to these maritime security services and it will take another two three days to complete the whole process”, he added.

President Maithripala Sirisena instructed the Navy to take control of the weapons of maritime security firms, while abolishing the Avant Garde Maritime Security Service Ltd agreement.

Under the new arrangement, maritime security firms can keep their weapons and ammunition with Sri Lanka Navy to be issued to security personnel deployed for sea marshaling duties and the Navy will charge a fee from these security firms for safeguarding the weapons.

With this change, the Sri Lanka Navy will ensure that no illegal weapons come into the country in the future, Navy sources said.