Police Media Spokesperson ASP Ruwan Gunasekara on Thursday (15) said that the investigations into the Avant Garde vessel which was seized in waters off Galle would be handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Addressing the media, Gunasekara further said that the decision was made according to the instructions given by the Acting Inspector General of Police.

The vessel was said to have been carrying 816 T-56 weapons and over 200,000 bullets at the time it was seized by the Navy.

The Navy filed the complaint with the Galle harbor police and as a result the Galle DIG initiated investigations over the vessel earlier.

By its complaint the Navy asserted that the ship did not have authorization to carry weapons and had three foreigners among the 36 member crew.