Six suspected LTTE operatives arrested in city

Chennai, Aug 9 (UNI) Police arrested six more Sri Lankan nationals, suspected to be operatives of the banned LTTE, at Thirumangalam area in the city last night.

Police sources said today the arrests were made during routine vehicle checks. Police also seized a Tata Sumo Van and fake number plates from them.

The arrested were identified as Selvam, Prathibam, Aruldas, Dinesh Kumar, Saal and Dhanushan, all hailing from Lanka.

Interrogations were on to find out whether they were operatives of the LTTE supplying arms and ammunition to the proscribed outfit.

Following a series of arrests of LTTE operatives across the state and in the city over the last few days, police intensified the crackdown on the activities of LTTE by intensifying night patrol.

Last night, police intercepted a speeding Tata Sumo van in which eight people were travelling. Of them Selvam, Prathibam and Aruldas belonged to a refugee camp at Kavangarai near Puzhal. Two others Dinesh Kumar and Saal were residing at Red Hills.

They claimed they had hired a car to pick up one of their friends Dhanushan from Vasantham colony, Thirumangalam to go for a picnic.

As they made contradictory statements and did not give a convincing reply about the purpose of their visit, police searched the vehicle and found two number plates, which were found to be fake, the sources said.

All the six were later remanded in judicial custody.

The nabbing of six people, comes close on the heels of the arrest of two LTTE operatives Uma Ramanan and Amalan a couple of days back and seizure of 1.5 kg of potassium nitrate powder, a solar light, a few spark plugs and wires from them.

The duo were part of a procurement module of the LTTE and were nabbed from a rented house at Tirumangalam, they added.

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