Over 7,000 commercial explosives seized by Navy in Mannar

COLOMBO (News 1st); A special operation conducted by the Navy at the Shanthipuram beach in Mannar yesterday (20) led to the seizure of an illegally stored 7,990 Water Gel sticks, a type of commercial explosive, weighing about 998.750 Kg. Moreover, the Navy also nabbed 02 suspects at the location in connection to the incident. A special team of naval personnel attached to SLNS Thammanna and Gajaba in the North Central Naval Command, in coordination with the Mannar Police conducted this special operation at Shanthipuram beach in Mannar yesterday (20). During the operation, the raiding party searched a suspicious house in the locality and found these 7,990 Water Gel sticks which had been stored there by illegal means. The cache of commercial explosive items held in the operation weighed about 998.750 kg. The Navy suspects that that these commercial explosive items have been hidden away at the location after being smuggled, with the intention of using them for blast fishing. The suspects arrested during the operation have been identified residents of Shanthipuram and Vankalai, aged 54 and 57. Further investigations into the incident is being carried out by the Navy and Mannar Police.