Maldives arrests Sri Lankan sniper after weapons bust
November 5, 2015 11:39 am
Police have arrested a Sri Lankan sniper from the Maldives days after a sniper rifle bullet was found in the biggest weapons bust in the country’s recent history, the Haveeru news agency reported.
Haveeru has found that the sniper who had served in the Sri Lankan military was arrested and remains in custody.
Maldivian authorities, neither confirmed nor denied the arrest.
The weapons had been seized from Hibilhadhoo island in Baa Atoll being developed as a resort.
The army confirmed Saturday that two assault rifles found in the biggest weapons bust in Maldives’ recent history belonged to the state armoury.
The items showcased during a press conference earlier Saturday included several hand guns, a T56 assault rifle and a MP5 sub-machine gun. In addition, a large quantity of bomb making material were also displayed at the press briefing.
Security forces cautioned the public Wednesday to be wary of more illegal weapons on the loose.
At a joint press conference with the police, Captain Ali Ihsan from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said there was credible intelligence to suggest some people were in possession of more weapons. Those weapons had the potential of endangering the lives of the people, he warned.
“We can confirm that these weapons would be used in a general attack or utilised to launch an attack on particular individuals,” Ihsan said, during the press conference held a few minutes before the declaration of state of emergency.
Assistant police commissioner Abdulla Nawaz assured that every effort was being made to find those weapons. He asked the public to notify the police of any information that could lead to the discovery of those weapons.
