Three Tamil youth who disappeared during the years of the war have been detained for some time in a prison in Maldives, their relatives allege.

According to them, these youth were recently brought to Sri Lanka and are being held at Welikada prison.

Ramesh, one of the youth, disappeared in 2005, when he was 22, his sister Gauriraja Kavitha said.

He had allegedly spoken to her in 2009 and had said that he was in Maldives.

Following his return to the island recently she had met with him in Welikada.

There was no word of him being released any sooner, Kavitha said.