Sri Lankan authorities uncover a massive weapons and narcotics stash allegedly tied to the LTTE and rented to southern underworld gangs. Three men are detained under the PTA as the Terrorism Investigation Division probes a chilling network of post-war arms trafficking.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena has approved the detention of three individuals for 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), following their arrest in connection with a shocking cache of weapons allegedly left over from the LTTE war era and rented out to criminal gangs in southern Sri Lanka.
The suspects Kariyak Premal Ramesh, Anthony Fernando Wickrama, and Mohamed Razeek were arrested on July 21 based on information obtained from another suspect taken into custody by Kiribathgoda Police. That suspect was found in possession of a T-56 assault rifle, a magazine containing 30 rounds, and 5.65 grams of the drug ‘Ice’.
According to the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID), the seized rifle was intended to be transported from Vavuniya to Colombo, where it was to be handed over to another individual to carry out a planned crime before being returned north.
Acting on intelligence gathered during the interrogation, Vavuniya Crime Division officers arrested two additional individuals from the Neriyakulam area within the Settikulam Police Division. These suspects were reportedly close associates of the main accused.
Police also discovered a concealed weapons and drug cache buried in the suspects’ home and yard. The items recovered include 86 hand grenades of various types, 321 live T-56 rounds, three submachine gun magazines, and a haul of 5,600 narcotic pills.
Authorities suspect the weapons may have either been reserved for upcoming criminal activity in the South or rented to underworld and organized crime groups operating in that region. Investigators believe this could signal the existence of a broader, previously undetected arms-for-hire network originating from the North.
Due to the grave nature of the evidence and national security implications, the TID requested court approval to detain the suspects for extensive questioning under the PTA. The court, after reviewing the submissions, granted permission to detain all three for a period of 90 days.
This development has raised new concerns over the remnants of LTTE-era arms falling into the hands of criminal gangs and highlights ongoing challenges in controlling legacy weapons stockpiles post-conflict.
