LTTE extortion ring in Colombo bared

R. Srikanthan in London

LONDON: The LTTE is reported to be carrying out a very effective extortion campaign within Colombo targeting the relatives of the expatriate Tamils.

An elderly couple residing in the City were approached by the LTTE’s collectors recently demanding Rs 5 million for its war effort. The children of the couple are living in Britain, the Daily News learns.

These men who without hesitation declared their affiliations with the LTTE have produced extensive details of the family’s income connections and their property before demanding for money for the LTTE funds.

The couple left for India immediately afterwards and are planning to migrate to Europe for the fear of their life.

It is alleged that the children of this couple, known to be LTTE sympathisers have palmed off large sums of money to LTTE agents in London every time they were approached.

The Daily News learns that the LTTE has earmarked households with rich relatives abroad and extort them to fatten their diminishing reserves.

It is suspected that the LTTE had used the details filled in a fund raising questionnaire circulated last year among the Tamil diaspora to intimidate the families and extort money.

The questionnaire sought particulars of their property and relatives in Sri Lanka.