Explosives haul: two arrested

Madurai, Feb 20 (UNI) In a pre-dawn swoop, a special police team raided a metal manufacturing unit here and seized 2000 kg explosives, kept for smuggling to Sri Lanka, and arrested two people.

On a tip-off, the special team from Ramanathapuram searched the godown of the unit at Pethaniapuram area and effected the seizure - two tonne of aluminium balls packed in 80 gunny bags. This was the latest in a series of explosives hauls along the coast.

Ramanathapuram Police Superintendent R Thirugnanam said the two arrested were S Gunasekara Pandiyan (23) of Perunazhi and V Selvaraj of Anuppanadi. Both had been charged under various IPC sections and remanded to custody, he added.

Efforts were on to nab other culprits involved in the operation.

The duo were taken to Dhanushkodi off Rameswaram as part of the inquiry since the seized ammunition was meant for being smuggled to northern Sri Lanka from that part of the 270 km porous coast.

Earlier, there were reports of three people being arrested.

The SP denied that the US-based Sri Lankan national, Balan, secured earlier at Mandapam and let off after interrogation, was involved in the arms smuggling. However, Balan had been asked to report to the police as and when required, he added.

Since February 12, huge cache of arms and ammunition had been seized at Rameswaram and at Kodiakkarai near Nagapattinam. Among those arrested for this included a few Sri Lankan nationals.

UNI