Five persons were suspected to have arrived onboard a high-speed fibre glass boat from Sri Lanka that was found abandoned at a coastal village near in Rameswaram last week, a top Tamil Nadu police official said today.

"We suspect that five persons had arrived by the boat which was found abandoned in Narikuzhi village. We are confident of nabbing them," Additional Director General of Police, Coastal Marine Police, Shylendra Babu told reporters.

The high-speed boat fitted with a powerful outboard motor and registered in Sri Lanka was seized off Narikuzhi village by coastal marine police on October 13.

The ADGP, who came Rameswaram to inspect the Coastal areas, said that the patrolling of the coastal areas would improve further with the proposal to buy a Rs 20 crore patrol boat shortly.

Besides, a strength of the Coastal Marine police would be increased at nearby Olaikuda area from where smuggling of ganja had been reported, he said.

He warned that those indulged in ganja smuggling or any other goods to Sri Lanka would be detained under non-bailable offence. (business-standard)