Navy confirms two Sea Tigers arrest

By Shanika Sriyananda

The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) confirmed that there were two LTTE Sea Tiger cadres among the four suspected Sea Tigers arrested in the Olaikuda waters near Pasasumunai, off the Rameswaran coast by the Indian Navy.

SLN sources told the 'Sunday Observer' that according to intelligence sources the two suspects have been identified as Ilayaraj and Sudharshan who were attached to the Vidathalthivu Sea Tiger Base. Sudharshan who was attached to the Kokupadu base had joined the Vidathalthivu base after the fall of the Silawathura.

According to SLN sources, the two Sea Tiger cadres in their early twenties were fleeing in a speed boat but the Indian Naval authorities which had increased its vigilance and surveillance on the seas of south Tamil Nadu had seized the boat.

The sources said though the two sea Tiger terrorists had claimed that they were from Jaffna, but they were from Vidathalthivu. "We have informed the Indian Naval authorities about the suspects and confirmed that the four are LTTE Sea Tiger terrorists," the sources said. The SLN said that the other two suspects in their late twenties are senior Sea Tiger terrorists.

According to a media report in the 'Asian Age', the four suspects had told the Naval officials that they were from Nallur, in the Jaffna peninsula and that they had drifted towards the Tamil Nadu coast when their boat ran out of fuel but according to the authorities the boat had enough fuel. They did not possess any fishing gear or nets and had been arrested by the Indian Navy after a chase and later they claimed that they were refugees. According to the report the engine is not the generally used by fishermen.