Tiger trial:

Canadians plead guilty

The trial of three Canadians accused of travelling to New York in 2006 to buy anti-aircraft missiles and assault rifles for the Tigers ended on Tuesday following two more guilty pleas.

Sahilal Sabaratnam, 29, and Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to support a foreign terrorist group and conspiracy to buy missiles. Their co-accused, Sathajhan Sarachandran, 29, had already pleaded guilty on Monday.

They each face a minimum sentence of 25 years with a maximum of life imprisonment after admitting they were part of a Canadian-based arms procurement cell of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

"With these convictions we have sent a clear message that the LTTE and its supporters cannot use the United States as a source of supply for deadly weapons and technology, and that all terrorists who attempt to do so will be met with the full resources of law enforcement," US Attorney Benton Campbell said.