Australian Police arrest two Tiger agents for funding terrorist organisation

H. L. D. Mahindapala, in Melbourne

AUSTRALIA: Sivaraj Yathevan, 36, the Tiger agent in charge of Eela Murasu, a Tamil community paper, and Arooran Vignanamoorthy, 32, the right-hand man of Yathevan were arrested by Australian Federal Police yesterday and produced before a magistrate court in Melbourne, Australia.

Both men were charged with intentionally being a member of a terrorist organisation, knowing the organisation is a terrorist organisation, contrary to subsection 102.3(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995.

They were also charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation, and intentionally receiving funds from or making funds available to a terrorist organisation, knowing the organisation is a terrorist organisation, contrary to sections 102.7 and 102.6(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995.

The maximum penalty for the membership offence is 10 years imprisonment and 25 years for the other offences.

Arooran came as a refugee and recently the Tiger agents bought a restaurant in Glen Waverley and made him the manager. Yathevan came as a student and is seen as the arm-twisting tough man of the Tiger outfit in Australia.

The arrests were made jointly by Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police Joint Counter Terrorism Team.

Both were charged with three offences relating to being a member of a terrorist organisation and knowingly making funds available to the terrorist organisation, the LTTE.

The arrests follow the execution of eight search warrants in Melbourne and two in Sydney last morning.

AFP National Manager Counter Terrorism Frank Prendergast said the arrests related to the men's alleged involvement in supporting the LTTE overseas.

"There is no evidence that these two men were planning to carry out a terrorist attack in Australia," Assistant Commissioner Prendergast said.

"The Police told the court that these men are members of an organisation engaging in terrorist activity overseas, and they have been providing active, material support to that group," he said.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said the charges related to allegations, the men are members of the LTTE and provided support through funding and materials to LTTE operations overseas.

"It will be alleged in court that these men actively raised funds with the knowledge some of the money would be diverted to the LTTE and used for operational activity in Sri Lanka," Deputy Commissioner Walshe said.