The CID had arrested a group of persons over the discovery of 100kg of high powered explosives used for making bombs, a stock of detonators and several other illegal items that was buried in a coconut estate in Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam yesterday (17).
The police suspect that this organized gang of four suspects who had built a tent in the coconut estate had been planning to build bombs for some destructive purpose.
Information regarding these suspects and the high powered explosives had been derived through the interrogation of the religious terror suspects who were arrested over the destruction of Buddha statues in the Mawanella and surrounding areas.
Among the items recovered were 100 detonators, a stock of wire cords, six 20 lt. cans of Nitrate Acid which is banned in Sri Lanka, a stock of bulbs, almost 75 kg of explosives suspected to be C4 high powered explosives, a 12 bore rifle and a stock of ammunition, an air rifle, two tents, a stock of food, cameras and several other items.
The police suspect that this group may have been planning on manufacturing several small bombs to be placed at Buddhist statues to destroy them with the aim of causing racial and religious clashes.
The high powered explosives were placed in large barrels and buried in the estate and the 100 detonators were also buried on the estate.
The police had discovered several labels with Indian names on the plastic barrels containing the explosives and suspect that these explosives could have been brought to the country from India.
The suspects had obtained electricity to their temporary tents through solar power. The high powered explosives were sent to the Government Analyst for testing yesterday and the CID is expected to obtain the report shortly.
The arrested suspects had been brought to the CID last night, according to CID sources. Previously a group of organized criminals were arrested in connection with the destruction of Buddha statues in the Mawanella and surrounding areas.
A police team comprising CID Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne and SSP Shani Abeysekara have commenced an investigation. The raiding team headed by ASP Wickramasekara had travelled almost 20 km through the jungle from Wanathawilluwa and carried out this raid.
