Wayward refugees fall into abyss of crime

For the Indian authorities, keeping an eye on the 73,000-odd Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in Tamil Nadu is as difficult a task as plugging the state’s porous coastline or fencing the Indian territorial waters. An Interpol communique on wanted criminals from Tamil Nadu describes more than 80% of them as Sri Lankan Tamils.

Refugees move in and out of their camps at will. Hardcore LTTE cadres or sympathisers are lodged in the special camp in Chengalpattu.

There are 54 inmates in the special camp. They will soon be shifted to the Poonamallee jail once it is renovated.

Officials say many refugees disappear from camps for months together. Going by government figures, every month, on an average, 3,000 to 4,000 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees do not turn up to receive government doles.

Many report at the camps only once in two or three months. During the intervening period, they would most often commute between some remote Tamil Nadu fishing village and northern parts of Sri Lanka, smuggling a range of commodities including iron pipes, resin, chemicals, ball bearings, boat engines, walkie-talkies, dry cells, provisions, beedis and army clothing for the Tigers.

Since the resumption of war in January 2006, the Q Branch has intercepted and seized many contraband consignments. A senior police official said, “The LTTE is keeping a close watch on the refugee camps.

They identify the refugees who were earlier associated with them and use them in India for smuggling essentials for them.” Besides smuggling, they are involved in crimes like forgery and cheating. In February 2007, the Coast Guard held five ‘Sea Tigers’ when their boat drifted into Indian territorial waters.

In another case in January 2007, five LTTE cadres were arrested in Chennai with two tonnes of steel ball bearings. Two of them had come to India as refugees in 2001. Sivakaran, the kingpin, admitted that he frequently travelled between Tamil Nadu and Jaffna.

The state police registered eight cases involving Sri Lankan Tamils last year. Of the 31 people arrested, 10 were hardcore LTTE men. This year, so far, 26 cases have been registered against Sri Lankan Tamils.

While 28 arrests have been made, one person among them, Thambidurai Parameshwaran, is a known LTTE intelligence wing member.

He came to India as a refugee last year and police allege he is part of a Tiger plot to kidnap EPRLF leader Varadaraja Perumal. Immigration authorities have handed over 12 Tamils to the central crime branch after they were caught possessing fake passports. Such people are allegedly involve din rackets to send Lankan Tamils to UK and Canada using fake documents.

Times of India