Sri Lankan refugees LTTE cat’s paw for smuggling

INDIA: The LTTE identify refugees in Indian camps 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, according to Interpol officials in India.

An Interpol communique on wanted criminals from Tamil Nadu describes more than 80 per cent 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.

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 involved in rackets to send Lankan Tamils to UK and Canada using fake documents.

Last month, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Sri Lankan drug don, Guna alias Kimbulawela Gunasekaran. Guna and his brothers were involved in smuggling large quantities of heroin to Sri Lanka. - The Times of India