LTTE link under scanner

Police here is investigating the possible LTTE connection to the recovery of 10,000 non-electrical detonators from the Shakthan Thampuran bus stand on September 6.

The suspicion arose from the statement of the first accused, Najeeb, in the case registered by the police in connection with the recovery of the trigger devices.

Najeeb, hailing from Chevaramangalam in Kozhikode district, who was absconding, had surrendered in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on December 5 and was remanded.

The second accused in the case, Hafiz, hailing from Vilvattom, near here, was arrested on September 14.

According to police, Hafiz had bought 40,000 detonators from a firm in Kodungallur and had sold them to Najeeb on September 5.

Packed in two cardboard boxes and two jute bags, Hafiz transported these detonators in his car to Shakthan Thampuran bus stand here on September 5 night and had handed over them to Najeeb.

For transporting the detonators to Kozhikode, Najeeb had placed one of the jute bags in a Kozhikode-bound bus parked at the bus stand.

By the time he transported the rest of the luggage, the bus left the stand. Immediately, he hired a vehicle and chased the bus.

At Kunnamkulam, the employees of the bus told Najeeb that they left the jute bag placed in the bus at Shakthan Thamburan bus stand, as the baggage had no escort.

Later, the police recovered the jute bag containing 10,000 pieces of detonators from the bus stand.

Subsequently, a case was registered and the investigation as to where the 30,000 detonators were being taken to was in progress.

According to sources, during the interrogation, Najeeb had told the police that the detonators were sold to a criminal, Vijayakumar, who was known to Najeeb earlier.

Vijayakumar had come to India as a Sri Lankan refugee in 1990.

Police suspect that Vijayakumar has connection with LTTE and therefore, the investigation of the case is proceeding in that direction.