STF arrests 5 Tamils in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2010, 06:40 GMT]
Sri Lanka police Special Task Force (STF) arrested Thursday around 3:00 a.m five Tamils including a male teacher, two family men and two youths in Peasaalai in Mannaar district, sources in Mannaar said. STF commanders who arrived in a white van dressed in civil clothes took the arrestees to the Prevention of Terrorism office in Vavuniyaa after handing over receipts for the arrests to the family members. They were brought back to Mannaar between 4:30 p.m and 6:00 p.m and a search was conducted in their houses in which their documents and other properties were confiscated by the police, the family members of the arrestees said. They had seen assault injuries on the arrestees, they said.

The persons arrested are:

1. Santhiya Arulseelan Miranda – family man.

2. Sebastian Seelan Crooz – teacher.

3. Sebastian Jenifer Crooz – family man.

4. Xavier Beno Beltano – youth.

5. Santhiago Masent Crooz – youth

The police had informed the family members that the five arrested persons are taken to Colombo for further interrogation, the family members said.

Fear and tension prevails in Peasaalai area following this incident.