UK Tigers feel the heat

Dushy RANETUNGE in London

UK: British police have stepped up their investigations into LTTE activities in the UK following the arrest of two key Tiger operatives.

Police have raided offices of several LTTE fronts such as the British Tamil Association (BTA), Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) and several private residences including that of A.C. Shanthan, the UK LTTE leader and President of the British Tamil Association (BTA), arrested on Thursday.

Police have removed a large number of material from his residence. The arrest relates to a propaganda event the LTTE organised in Hyde Park last year in breach of the Terrorism Act 2000.

At this rally a large cut-out of the LTTE leader was displayed on the stage and participants were given photographs of the leader and LTTE flags were used to decorate the venue.

The authorities are considering other arrests. The Liberal Democrat Deputy Mayoress of Southwark and prominent LTTE activist Eliza Packiadevi Mann is also under investigation.

Shanthan alias A. Krishanthakumar was arrested by New Scotland Yard under the British Terrorism Act 2000. His arrest under the Terrorism Act 2000 is significant in that he can be held for up to 28 days.

He is spending the nights these days in a cell at the Paddington Green Police station in central London where all high profile terrorists including the ones from the IRA were held.

Shanthan was scheduled to be arrested next week, but another arrest led to the date being brought forward.

This second is known as Golden Lambert (a Sri Lankan Tamil) a key figure in LTTE front, the Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO).

Scotland Yard was tracking Lambert’s movements and on Thursday, Golden Lambert flew into London from Dubai and was arrested at the airport on Thursday.

This necessitated the arrest of Shanthan not to compromise the investigation.

Prominent Tamils in London made several complaints to British police about the event. Police initiated inquiries and referred it to the Crown Prosecution Service, which believes there is a prima facie case against the two.

Shanthan is from Chavakachcheri in Jaffna. His wife is a cousin of the LTTE leader Prabhakaran’s wife Madhivadini.

After the Rajiv Gandhi assassination in May 1991, the Indian intelligence agency, RAW stepped up surveillance on LTTE international operations.

Aggressive lobbying by diplomats of the Indian foreign office, led to the deportation of Sathasivam Krishnaswamy alias Kittu, the one legged one time Jaffna commander from London to Switzerland. Kittu had been in charge of the LTTE operations in London at the time.

With Kittu’s deportation, Shanthan filled the vacuum in London and has remained for almost 20 years as the hands-on leader of the LTTE responsible for organising LTTE events, fund raising and all other LTTE activity in the UK.

The duo have been arrested under Section 12 (3) which refers to “support for a proscribed organisation” (i.e in terms of speeches made at the Black July rally) and Sections 2 & 6 which refers to “providing material support for a proscribed organisation” (i.e in terms of financial support/fundraising etc).

Immediately following the arrests Police launched simultaneous raids on the head office of the BTA “Eelam House” located in Mitcham, Surrey and the office of the TYO in Colindale, London.

Lambert who is the BTA’s financial head was the chief financier of the Black July rally.