Maldives sinks LTTE arms vessel

Several suspects in Maldivian custody

Ranil Wijayapala

MALDIVES: The Maldivian Coastguard yesterday sank a suspected LTTE vessel believed to have been transporting weapons.

It was identified as the Indian registered vessel Sri Krishna, which was reportedly missing since March 12 along with 12 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Kerala after being abducted by the LTTE.

Four suspected LTTE cadres who jumped from the blazing vessel were rescued by the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) and held in custody, according to sources.

According to Maldivian Coast Guard sources they detected this suspicious fishing vessel when a Maldivian fishing vessel was reportedly fired upon around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, when it tried to gain information about an unidentified yellow coloured trawler of approximately 75 feet in length.

The Maldivian Government was quoted by agency reports that they had sunk the suspicious fishing vessel yesterday after a 12 hour stand off.

The Maldivian Coastguard vessel Huravee started the pursuit of the vessel on Wednesday afternoon at 14:00 hours, according to Maldivian sources.

A crew member of the suspected vessel jumped overboard when it was pursued by the Maldivian Coastguard/MNDF and he was later identified as Simon Soza, an Indian national from Cochin.

The Coastguard kept perusing the vessel since May 16 night and on May 17 morning it was ordered to stop.

When the vessel did not adhere to the instructions the Coastguard approached the vessel. The MNDF was fired upon by Sri Krishna and in self defence MNDF had opened fire, destroying the vessel.

Sri Krishna is an Indian registered vessel belonging to an Indian company. The vessel is suspected to have contained large quantities of ammunition and has been taken over by the LTTE around one and half months back, off Tuticorin.

The fishing vessel Sri Krishna left for fishing from Kodimunai-Kanyakumari on March 7 along with 12 crew members and was reported missing since March 12. On April 11 Indian authorities apprehended one trawler named Mariya and another two Vallams with six LTTEers and six Indian fishermen onboard.

Subsequent investigations have revealed, according to the Police Chief of Tamil Nadu, that the missing 12 fishermen of Sri Krishna were held captive by the LTTE in the Wanni.

The Maldives, which lies to the southwest of Sri Lanka, is a cluster of 1,192 coral islands scattered some 850 kilometres across the equator.