British Police on trail of Tamil gangs
Harry MILLER
British Police are cracking down on Tamil gangs in the UK, especially
South London, it was revealed yesterday.
Gangs of violent men from Sri Lanka are “constantly tooled up” and
“ready to go”, according to police.
There have been a number of violent clashes involving groups of Tamil
men in Croydon and other parts of south London in recent years.
(from left) Aziz Miah, Asif Kumbay, Vabeesan Shivarajah and
Kirush Nathankumar. |
They culminated in the murder of 28-year-old Prabaskaran Kannan in
Tooting last year. He was chased by a group of four men from Croydon who
stabbed and slashed their terrified victim 31 times outside a fried
chicken takeaway shop.
The chief investigator in the case which became known as the “Chicken
Cottage murder” said Croydon’s Tamil gangs were causing concern among
officers.
Detective Sergeant Mick Snowdon spoke out about the problems
surrounding Tamil gangs after five men were convicted of Kannan’s murder
at the Old Bailey. The court was told Kannan was heard shouting “It
wasn’t me, it wasn’t me” shortly before he was brutally set upon and
killed.
On Monday, homeless Vabeesan Sivarajah, 22, Aziz Miah, 20, of Sumner
Road, Croydon, Asif Kumbay, 20, of Grasmere Road, Purley, and Kirush
Nathankumar, 18, of Purley Way, Croydon, were all convicted of murder by
an Old Bailey jury. They all denied the charges.The young men burst into
tears after the sentence was announced. A jury of nine men and three
women took three days to reach their verdict.
The four were also convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and
actual bodily harm to two gang members who were with Kannan that night.
Another defendant, Mayuran Srivinayagam of Greyhound Terrace,
Streatham, was cleared of murder and manslaughter but found guilty of
assault.
Earlier in the trial a sixth gang member, Mahitharan Ratnasingham, of
Lesley Grove, Croydon, was cleared of murder and manslaughter. He
admitted assault. The men are due to be sentenced on July 7.
After the men were convicted Det Sgt Snowdon told the Croydon
Guardian: “They the gangs are very violent. They are constantly tooled
up and ready to go. It is almost like the level of violence is ad hoc.
Whatever happens for them happens, and it depends on what weapons they
have around.”
A businessman who runs a shop in Croydon said Sri Lankan Tamil gangs
controlled most of the crime and had the town centre on “lockdown.”
Police have always in the past denied there was a problem with the gangs
in Croydon, but have now admitted there was a specialist officer dealing
with Tamil gang activity in the borough.
A member of a gang who did not want to be named said: “These guys are
tough men, they do not care who they hurt or who gets in their way. They
ride around in flash cars tooled-up with knives, swords, bats and
whatever else they can grab to do damage to a guy.”
Detective Inspector Anthony McKeown, from the Met’s Homicide and
Serious Crime Command, said: “Those who carried out the attack were from
a gang of Tamil and other Asian youths from Croydon, who came to Tooting
with the express purpose of attacking people whom they saw as members of
a rival Tamil gang.”
“They (the gangs) are very violent. They are constantly tooled up and
ready to go. It is almost like the level of violence is ad hoc. Whatever
happens for them happens, and it depends on what weapons they have
around.”Detective Sergeant Mick Snowdon. Thisislondon |