SUNIL JAYASIRI 
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Govt clarifies Arugam Bay incident as organized crime, not extremism
Colombo, Nov 01 (Daily Mirror) - The government in a meeting with US embassy officials in Colombo on Wednesday has reportedly ruled out any links between the recent incident in Arugam Bay and ‘extremism’, categorizing it instead as an incident of ‘organized crime’.
A senior defence official confirmed to the Daily Mirror that a delegation, including Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha and representatives from the Presidential Secretariat, briefed US embassy officials in Colombo regarding the investigation into the arrests of six individuals connected to the incident.
The government officials reportedly informed the United States of their findings, emphasizing that the situation was the result of actions by a group of individuals rather than any extremist activity.
Sources revealed that US embassy officials responded positively to the findings. The government delegation also raised concerns about a travel advisory issued by the US last week, inquiring its necessity given that the incident was unrelated to extremism. The delegation formally requested the lifting of the advisory, citing the absence of any major incidents.
So far, six suspects have been arrested, including a Maldivian national and two former LTTE cadres. One of the former LTTE cadres is also accused of being involved in the assassination of former Cabinet Minister Jeyaraj Fernandpulle and is currently in custody.
Initial investigations have revealed that an Iranian national had contacted these suspects with the intention of inciting unrest, allegedly offering financial support. However, prior to any incidents, the US had alerted the government about potential threats. Following thorough investigations, the police apprehended the suspects involved.
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