PLOTE member arrested in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Monday, 15 February 1999, 20:57 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Police in the northern town of Vavuniya said that they have arrested a PLOTE member who had been found with a pistol in his possession at a Police checkpoint.

Military sources said that PLOTE and TELO in Vavuniya have been ordered not to move in the streets with weapons.

The paramilitary groups had been warned by senior officials of the SLA in Vavuniya, that anyone in possession of weapons will be arrested, Police said.

Both PLOTE and TELO operate in SLA controlled areas and assist the security forces in operations against the LTTE.

The restrictions were introduced after a series of clashes between members of the two groups over the past weeks.

The dispute between PLOTE and TELO was over the right to levy 'taxes' from businesses in Vavuniya, said sources in the town.