Mass arrests of Colombo Tamils

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan police and army continued round up and search operations in Colombo today. Reports said that more than five hundred Tamils have been arrested in the city and its suburbs.

Most of these were picked up in mid night raids on lodging houses where hundreds of Tamils who come from the northeast stay after registering themselves with the local police and getting clearance.

Meanwhile the Crime Detection Bureau has claimed that it has found that the lorry used for the Galadari blast belongs to a Tamil trader in Pettah's 5th Cross street. He is expected to be arrested immediately.

The police also recovered a body from the Beira lake near the Lake House building. They said that it might be one of the persons involved in setting off the blast at the Galadari Hotel on Wednesday.

More mass arrests of Tamils are expected in Colombo tonight.