This is evident from the fact that only 4,000 tonnes of the original 7,000 tonnes of the white metal were recovered from the vessel, which was intercepted by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard after it is suspected to have sailed from Colombo in Sri Lanka. The barter is believed to have taken pace in Cambodia, which is known for its gun-running activities.

The ship was hijacked soon after it left the port of Kaula Tanjung in North Sumatra, Indonesia, the Japanese crew had told the Thailand Marine Police who found them adrift near the shore. They said the vessel had been hijacked by 10 men, believed to be of Indonesian nationality, wielding swords and pistols.According to Coast Guard officials, the 3,000 tonnes of ingots could have fetched $ 3 million in the grey market.

They said the pirates are suspected to have sailed the Alondra Rainbow to an unknown destination in Cambodia, which is also known to have links with insurgents in the Indian North-East. From here, the pirates are believed to have berthed in Thailand before proceeding to Colombo.

In January last year, a consignment of sophisticated arms from Cambodia was seized from the Andaman islands. Intelligence sources say the earlier consignment too had originated in Cambodia and came via Thailand. The weapons were destined for Bangladesh from where they were believed to have been distributed to insurgent groups in the Indian North-East, sources say.

There is evidence to suggest a nexus between insurgent groups in the North-East, particularly the National Socialist Council of Nagaland and the LTTE. This in turn links the Cambodian gun-runners with the LTTE.

``The LTTE has already procured high-speedboats used for landing of arms and weapons. Large consignment of arms can be off-loaded on the high seas within minutes,'' according to a senior Coast Guard official.

Meanwhile, the Alondra Rainbow is still anchored off the coast of Goa in the Arabian Sea. Though the fire has been extinguished, divers have been plugging holes and removing the water from the ship's engine room. Coast Guard officials say the ship could be towed to Mumbai in the next two days.