SOURCE REPORT FROM MALDIVES

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001523

SIPDIS

RSO FOR DS/DSS/ITA AND DS/ICI/PII

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/2013
TAGS: ASEC PTER
SUBJECT: SOURCE REPORT FROM MALDIVES

Classified By: RSO ALEX MOORE, REASON: 1.5(C)


1. (C) On 09/02/2003, RSO Colombo received a letter dated
08/13/2003 and addressed to the RSO from an unknown Source
who identified himself as Tuan Preena Rashid SALIM, Helengeli
Tourist Village, North Male Atoll, Republic of Maldives. The
essential text of the letter, written in poor English, is as
follows:


2. (C) Sir - As a Sri Lankan for me the U.S. Embassy Colombo
is the suitable place to give this information. I have
already informed your former RSO about a group having
connection with Al-Quaida. In the first week of last month I
was able to find the same group and I came to know that they
are working for Al-Quaida. The group was all ways traveling
to a ship several times a day. Any ways I was able to follow
them and get into the ship and I came to know the last trip
it has ?Seale? from North Korea. On the way it has stop at
Surabaya Port, Indonesia. In the ship the main cargo area
was with heavy caliber weapons. According to my knowledge
there was plenty of North Korean-made missiles and RPGs and a
Czech-made "Malti Baral Rocket Launcher vehicle" was removed
into parts. This was on the 6th of July afternoon between 3
to 4 pm. A passenger boat came to the ship (Register no. was
07-6444-10-T). There was four visitors to the ship as I hear
they were from Iran. After they came within 15 minutes
another boat came to the ship (Reg. no. 07802410T). Four
persons were in that boat as I know two was from Korea and
one from India and one person was from Pakistan and all of
them went to the main cargo area. Then one of the Koreans
were explaining about the weapons to four Iranians. After
that the Indian was explaining about the U.S. Embassy in
Colombo and the VOA radio station in Iranawila Sri Lanka.
With a map.

I left from the ship at about 6:30 pm before that I was able
to know that the ship has come to Male from North Korea. On
the way it has stop for two days in Surabaya port Indonesia.
As I know the full shipment sapos (supposed?) to be
transferred to another ship on the 8th of July. I want to
follow that but they have (?Sanly diside?) and was
transferred to two ships on the 6th after midnight. The
register no. of the ship with weapons was (blank) and the
holding company is:

01-05 Ship Plaza
Orchid Magu Male 20-02
Maldives

And I know now the ship has been sold to a Sri Lankan Company
and the weapons have been transported with two ships from
Male, one to Syria and one ship to Sri Lanka. I did not get
a clear information about these two ships registry numbers or
the shipping company. Sir, as every one I know only USA can
control or defeat terrorism. I am working in Maldives but I
am from Sri Lanka. So as a Sri Lankan the suitable place to
give this information is the U.S. Embassy Colombo, so I did
it. Thanks, Salim 08/13/03.


3. (C) RSO comment: An unknown Source calling himself Salim
contacted RSO by phone in early August and made reference to
information of value, but due to his poor English, the caller
was unintelligible. RSO instructed the caller to put the
information in writing and send it to the Embassy by fax or
mail. The above letter is apparently a result of those
instructions. In the phone conversation mentioned above, the
caller provided an incomplete phone number (00960-749-068),
believed to be in the Maldives. The Source could probably be
interviewed with some degree of difficulty, as the Maldives
are a collection of small remote islands. POC for this
information is RSO Alex Moore (94-1-244-8601).
LUNSTEAD