Kerala Cops seize boat under construction for LTTE

Munambam (Kerala), Mar 6: Kerala Police seized a boat under construction in Kochi, which was suspected to be intended for delivery to Sri Lanka's rebel outfit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Following information from two alleged LTTE operatives, who were recently arrested in Tiruchirapalli, the special Trichy 'Q' Branch of Tamil Nadu police, with the assistance of Kerala police seized the boat under construction from a yard at Munambam near Vypin Island in Kochi. The order for the boat building reportedly came from three persons working as partners in Calicut city.

The boat is estimated to cost rupees three million out of which two million rupees had been paid in advance. A boatyard official, however, denied they were in the know of the real buyer.

"Almost 60 per cent of the construction is complete and I am not at all aware that this boat is for the banned LTTE. It was as usual, costumers came and ordered for a boat and did not specify the design. As we build fishing vessels at the yard, we made one for them of the same size. I am not aware of any further details about it," said Joseph Benny, Chief Contractor and architect of Sudha's Marine Engineering Yard.

New Delhi banned the LTTE in 1991 following the killing of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in a suicide bomb attack.

ANI