Chennai Police arrest Sea Tiger, two others

An LTTE Sea Tiger and two others who had attempted to procure a boat for the outfit, have been arrested by the police in Chennai.

Police also seized Indian and Sri Lankan currency worth Rs 478,000 from them.

A boat, kept ready at coastal Mallipattinam in Thanjavur district to be sent to the LTTE, has also been seized, the Q branch of Chennai Police said yesterday.

The Tiger cadre was identified as Jayakumar (34) of Velvettithurai, Jaffna and his accomplices as James alias Raja (46) from Chinnakadai, Mannar and Ravikumar (42) a resident of Subbarayan Nagar, Choolaimedu, Tamil Nadu.

The trio were spotted at the parking lot of Anna International airport terminal on Saturday night.

When questioned on suspicion, Jayakumar, belonging to the naval wing of the LTTE, confessed that he had come to India clandestinely by a boat in February this year.

On the instruction of LTTE ‘naval wing’ leader Susai, he had stayed in Thanjavur in March and had received Rs 480,000 from another LTTE man, Karuppaiah, residing in London. With the money, he had procured a boat and handed it over to James to be sent to the LTTE.

James, belonging to Mannar area in the island nation, had visited India thrice this year using his passport. His last visit was in October last.

He had earlier procured computer spare parts, swimming gear and GPS equipment and smuggled them to LTTE-controlled areas in Sri Lanka, along with beedi packs.

The third person, Ravikumar, was said to have assisted James in procuring material for the LTTE.

Besides Indian and Sri Lankan currency, two cellphones were also seized from the arrested.