An alleged LTTE operative in Switzerland has been given the maximum sentence of 45 months for his role in the theft of 80 assault rifles from a Swiss military depot two years ago.

The district court in canton Bern handed a sentence of 42 months to one of the three Swiss defendants, and gave suspended sentences of 14 and 24 months to two accomplices, Swiss news agencies reported.

According to the news sources, one of the thieves, a Sri Lankan fugitive, has been working for the internationally banned terrorist outfit LTTE. He has been the LTTE agent in connection of smuggling the weapons into Sri Lanka. They were caught out by an undercover agent and eventually arrested. Most of their booty stolen from a depot in canton Fribourg was recovered, the news sources further said.

The court ruled in favour of the harsh sentences because, it said, the terrorist suspects were unconcerned by the suffering the weapons could cause. The news agencies citing Swiss military sources said that, more than 4,300 army guns have been lost or stolen over the past ten years.

(Courtesy : Ministry of Defence )