LTTE terror funded through Indian stock markets

INDIA: India has seen terrorist groups, including the LTTE, manipulating its stock markets, including the benchmark Mumbai bourse to raise funds, National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan has said.

“Isolated instances of terrorist outfits manipulating the stock market to raise funds for their operations have been reported,” Narayanan said at a security policy conference in Munich on Sunday.

His speech was only made available in India on Wednesday.

Narayanan said Islamist militants, who have launched attacks in India killing hundreds of people, as well as Sri Lanka’s LTTE had in part funded activities through legitimate businesses, including restaurants, real estate and shipping.

“Stock exchanges in Mumbai and Chennai have, on occasions, reported that fictitious or notional companies were engaging in stock market operations. Some of these companies were later traced to terrorist outfits,” Narayanan added.

He also said militants’ money transfers had been noticed.

“Many instances of funds received via banking channels from so-called safe locations such as Dubai and UAE (United Arab Emirates) intended for terrorist organisations have been detected by Indian counter-terrorist agencies.”

The last major attack in India was in July last year when bombs planted on local trains and at rail stations in Mumbai exploded, killing 186 people.

India has banned many terrorist groups including the LTTE, which has been accused of assassinating former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The Indian Coast guard recently arrested five men, including three Sri Lankan nationals, when they were intercepted transporting weapons and explosives in a boat.

New Delhi, Thursday, Reuters