By Walter Jayawardhana

Sri Lanka has seized three LTTE cargo ships which the terrorist outfit used to smuggle arms and are being brought back to Sri Lanka with the help of the Interpol, ColomboƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Island newspaper said.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The rogue vessels being brought to Sri Lanka by the Lankan Navy were expected to reach the Sri Lankan shores within the next two weeks,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ said the newspaper quoting unnamed government sources.

The Island said ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-the highly placed government sourcesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ refused to divulge the port of embarkation.

According to the Island , the information about the rogue ships have been divulged by K.Pathmanadan alias KP, the leader appointed by a section of the LTTE but was arrested by Sri Lanka intelligence agents , believed to be in Kulalumpur. He is still under Sri Lanka government custody in Colombo after being flown back to the island on August 6 this year.

Going on the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-information providedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by KP the Interpol helped Sri Lanka to trace the ships , the newspaper said. The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-expensive craftƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ are being brought back to Sri Lanka under tight security, the newspaper revealed.

Capture of the ships is hailed as the first step of the government to seize overseas assets of the terrorist outfit, the Island further said. Since the seizure of the ships, their agents had gone missing according to the story. Quoting the unnamed officers the newspaper said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Such assets and high ranking LTTE cadres now hiding in foreign capitals will be captured soon and brought to Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚