Sri Lanka Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a suspected member of the now defunct LTTE who had escaped police arrest during a search operation and is said to be an explosives expert.

Police Media Spokesperson SSP Ajith Rohana stated that a police team had searched a group of suspicious individuals on June 04 in the Madu area when one of them had fled.

However, one person was arrested and nearly 15 kilograms of explosives was found in his possessions, Rohana said, speaking at a press briefing today.

He stated that the arrested suspect, Nandarasa Saundranayagam, a resident of Madu, was handed over to the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) for interrogation and that he revealed the identity of the persons who escaped.

SSP Ajith Rohana stated that the man who managed to flee, Gunasekara Mudiyanselage Nilanka Jude Antony also known as Cyril Nilangam Jude Antony, goes by the pseudonym ‘Villango’ as a former member of the banned terrorist outfit. He is believed to be an explosives expert.

He further said that Villango’s arrest is valuable as he possesses intel regarding the locations of explosives buried by the LTTE during the war between Madu and Kanagarayankulam, to act as a protective barrier.

Rohana stated that Villango had recovered some of those buried explosives and that the 15kg of TNT seized by police had been provided by him.

He said that they have received information that the suspect had also supplied such explosives to fishermen for fishing activities and looking into the possibility that the explosives were used for any other purposes.

The police spokesman requested the public to provide any correct information regarding the suspect by contacting the telephone number 011-2451636 or 011-2451634.