Fishermen in Tamil Nadu 'nets' rocket launcher

RAMESWARAM: Close on the heels of recent recovery of a box containing five live cartridges used in ships, an empty rocket launcher was recovered by the officials off the Rameswdaram Coast near Antoniyar Koil on Monday.

Police sources said the fisherman was working from the shore using a fishing rod following a 45-day ban on mechanised boat fishing when he netted the rocket launcher.

The fisherman immediately drew the attention of police officials who rushed to the spot and seized the rocket launcher.

Police are investigating on whether the seized launcher was left by some extremist forces while being smuggled to Sri Lanka.

The seizure comes barely five days after a thermocol box containing five live cartridges were seized at Mandapam near here on Wednesday last.

However, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had allayed the fears over the seizure and said they were nothing but signal cartridges normally used in ships.

''There is no cause for any apprehension as such cartridges are normally used in all ships,'' he said adding coastal security, however, would continue to be tight.