US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1523

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, MIssion Security 
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