Another NTJ suspect arrested in Ampara

An active member of the Jamath Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) attached to the National Thaweed Jama’at (NTJ) and alleged to have been trained by Zahran in Nuwara Eliya, was arrested by the officers of the National Intelligence Service today, the Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

He said the suspect, identified as Mohommad Rafaideen Mohommad Ali alias Abu Ikrimah, is an active member of the NTJ and arrested on information received by the National Intelligence Service at Ampara.

He said the alias was given to the suspect after he had completed his weapons training at the Nuwara Eliya camp.

The suspect is a resident of Watadeniya, Welamboda in Gampolam, the Spokesman said.

During the last two weeks, 16 JMI activists had been arrested in Ampara. Three of them were detained under the Terrorist Investigations Division (TID).

Meanwhile, he said the 16-year-old suspect, Mohamed Naufar Abdullah, who was arrested on Friday had allegedly maintained links with the proscribed NTJ.

“The 16-year-old suspect is under remand custody. The remaining twelve suspects are at the detention of the Ampara Police. Further investigations will be conducted by the Ampara Police and the TID," the Spokesman said.

The underage suspect was the son of NTJ leader Zahran Hashim’s second-in-command Naufer Moulavi who was a powerful leader, he said.

"This shows how these terrorist activists behave in front of their underage children. They used to keep their children at their training camps. Several bomb blasting activities have been done in the presence of their children," the Spokesman added. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama and Wasantha Chandrapala)

Video by Wasantha Chandrapala