Swiss national stopped at checkpoint

by Jayampatny JAYASINGHE

The Swiss National (50) and his woman partner(34) who attempted to cross over to Vavuniya at the Medawachchiya checkpoint in a Izuzu cab belonging to a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) were taken in for questioning by the Medawachchiya police, the Police Media Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunesekera told the Sunday Observer.

The incident had occurred on 22nd January around 10.00 p.m. The Swiss national who works as a project manager for a NGO in Batticaloa was in possession of an expired identity card along with Rs. 334,000 in cash a lap top computer and a compass. It was revealed the woman a resident of Vavuniya had arrived in the country after a trip to India on 20th January.

When questioned, the woman had told police that she was heading to her native village and that she had worked for the same NGO where the Swiss national had worked two years ago. She was in possession of Indian currency to the value of Rs. 6,030, sixty US dollars, twenty five Malaysian ringgits, 54 Singaporean dollars, and 10 UK pounds sterling. Meanwhile the Police are investigating as to whether the couple had carried the cash to be given to a LTTE cadre in Vavuniya.