NIA arrests Sri Lankan national in Vizhinjam Arms case

National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Sri Lankan national in Vizhinjam Arms case. The accused was residing on rented premises in Kerala's Ernakulam district. The accused was produced before the Special NIA Court in Ernakulam on Wednesday and sent to judicial custody.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Sri Lankan national in Vizhinjam Arms case. NIA arrested Arasaratinam Ramesh alias A Ramesh, 37, on Tuesday, said the agency in a statement. "The accused is a Sri Lankan national and an arms and drugs trafficker having links with Vizhinjam Arms case," it added. The accused was residing on rented premises in Kerala's Ernakulam district. The accused was produced before the Special NIA Court in Ernakulam on Wednesday and sent to judicial custody.

The case was initially registered on April 5 this year at Vizhinjam police station in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district relating to seizure of illegal arms and ammunition from arrested accused aboard Sri Lankan fishing boat Ravihansi in the Arabian Sea. "Huge quantity of narcotics drug was seized from Sri Lankan fishing boat in the Arabian Sea on March 25-26 this year. Upon investigation in the case it was found that the accused had illegally possessed five AK-47 Rifles and 1,000 9 mm ammunition," said the NIA.

Read:Vizhinjam Arms case: NIA conducts searches at seven locations in TN, Kerala

NIA had re-registered the case as of May 1 this year and taken over the investigation. NIA had earlier arrested two accused in the case on August 2 this year. "Investigation has revealed that arrested accused is the brother of earlier arrested accused Suresh Raj and has been actively assisting him in the collection of arms, ammunition and drugs trafficking through international sea route.

"During a search conducted at his rented premises in Ernakulam earlier, NIA had seized incriminating documents relating to the transactions of drugs and arms," the NIA said.

ANI