The CID is seeking the assistance of the
International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to track
down an Australian passport holder believed to be the consignee
of a helicopter that had been recently ferried in what a senior
police official termed as "knocked down" condition to the
Bandaranaike International Airport.
The shipper had been identified as Ever Green, a
US NGO.
The CID official said that the Aussie had been
staying at the Colombo Hilton but had checked out shortly after
BIA authorities detected two helicopters in "knocked down"
condition among what he described as tsunami cargo.
In last Sunday’s front-page story, Govt. says no
to NGO choppers, we erroneously identified one of the consignees
as World Vision.
The CID spokesman said that the other helicopter
had been sent by a Germany based medical relief organisation,
Humedica. He acknowledged that the inquiry didn’t indicate the
NGOs had planned to engage in anything other than tsunami relief
work. But unfortunately they hadn’t bothered to contact the Sri
Lankan government or relevant embassies before ferrying the
choppers here.
