The focus of the investigation into the recently arrested Sultan Park bombing suspect has turned towards his Sri Lankan contacts he had established during his time in hiding.

Sleuths from Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) have ascertained contact details of his associates and friends who had been hiding him in Sri Lanka.

The suspect Mohamed Ameen, 27, who was one of Interpol’s wanted men, had fled Maldives days before the 2007 Sultan Park bombing, which injured 12 tourists.

A senior officer attached to the CID told Haveeru that they have questioned few persons, who had been associated with Ameen, and that the detectives are trying to establish if the suspect had received assistance from any Sri Lankan nationals or any Maldivian expatriates in planning the bombing.

“We have gathered vital information from Ameen during the past few days. We suspect that he might have been linked with other terrorist outfits in Pakistan. We are trying to establish who his contacts are in Sri Lanka and whether there was a Sri Lankan hand in the bombing,” he said.

“We are also tracing his call records and probing into his financial details as well. By this we will be able to ascertain details on who would have been assisting him during his time he was hiding in Sri Lanka,” he said.

Ameen was arrested at a level crossing in Sri Lanka’s southern town of Payagala on October 13. At the time of the arrest, he had possessed a fake Maldives and Pakistan passport.

Currently the CID is working closely with the Maldivian defence authorities who have been constantly briefed on any developments on the Sultan Park bombing suspect.

The Maldivian government is making arrangements with the Sri Lankan government to extradite the suspect. (haveeru online)