Rescued Lankan, a ganja smuggler

A 21-year-old Sri Lankan, who was found stranded on an islet and rescued by fishermen on June 11, had attempted to flee to Sri Lanka clandestinely with about 80 kg of ganja even as police arrested five local people who helped him in his illegal mission.

As mystery shrouded the activities of the youth, the police interrogated him in custody. After interrogating him for the third day on Wednesday, they learnt that he made a vain bid to flee to Sri Lanka. After being handed over by the fishermen, the Marine Police had arrested him under the Foreigners Act for overstay. But the district police got the case transferred to them.

After the interrogation, the police seized a ‘vallam’ (country boat) used for dropping him at the islet and arrested five people from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam under Sections 13 and 14 of the Foreigners Act.

Special teams have been formed to secure Saravanan, the boat owner, and Murugan, who loaded the ganja in the boat.

Superintendent of Police N.M. Mylvahanan said Sindhujan, the Sri Lankan Tamil, had arrived here on June 4 and stayed here for four to five days before getting dropped at the islet.

He had sought the help of Karnan, an autorickshaw driver, for reaching Sri Lanka and the driver introduced him to one Thiagarajan of Thangachimadam. Sindhujan stayed with Thiagarajan for four to five days and he was introduced to one Muniasamy, a broker in Rameswaram, who arranged for the boat of Saravanan. He had paid them Rs.40,000 for the ride.

He was dropped with the ganja at one of the islets. As the boat from Sri Lanka failed to pick him up as per plan, he remained on the high seas for the whole night, before fishermen rescued him.

A team led by Rameswaram DSP T. Vijayakumar launched a search for the contraband near the islet on Wednesday but returned empty-handed.

Details of the Sri Lankan contact and the smuggling activities would be known once Saravanan and Murugan were arrested, the SP said.

At the end of police custody, Sindhujan was produced before a local magistrate who remanded him back in Puzhal Central Prisons.

Sindhujan had arrived in India last year and had been staying with his parents in a rented house at Uthandi near Chennai. (Source: The Hindu)