Sri Lanka navy detains 'suspicious' Indonesian boat: official

COLOMBO (AFP) - The Sri Lankan navy detained a "suspicious" Indonesian vessel off the island's east coast, an official spokesman said.
The Indonesian registered boat was carrying a 12-member Indonesian crew when the navy detected it 95 nautical miles (109 statute miles) east of Arugam Bay, navy spokesman D. K. P. Dassanayake said.
He said naval officers were still in the process of questioning the crew.
Sri Lanka has stepped up naval patrols to intercept Tamil Tiger rebels smuggling weapons.
In October, the navy claimed it had virtually destroyed the ability of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to smuggle weapons into the island after sinking what it said was the rebels' last gun-running ship.
Sri Lanka is pressing for a military victory over the Tamil Tigers who are fighting for a separate homeland for the ethnic Tamil minority in the Sinhalese-majority nation. Tens of thousands have died on both sides since the conflict erupted in 1972.
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