LTTE in TN increases attempts to smuggle communication equipment

Walter Jayawardhana

With the increasing break down of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) communication network due to the onslaught of the Sri Lanka Army against them more attempts have been made to smuggle in communication equipment through Chennai from European sources, Tamil Nadu Police Q Branch investigations have revealed.

The Q Branch is the police section in Tamil Nadu that makes investigations into terrorist activities. On April 3 the Q Branch has arrested four persons for allegedly attempting to smuggle in military communication equipment and medicine , suspected to be for the LTTE.

Acting on intelligence reports the Q Branch arrested Sayanthan, a native of Sri Lanka, Jayanathan, a Sri Lankan with British citizenship, Babu, a native of Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu and Guhan, a native of Cuddalore from Thirumanviyur. The Q Branch officers were able to take into custody 25 satellite phones, one GPS equipment, one night vision equipment and one walkie talkie from the gang.

When the equipment were taken into police custody they were being kept ready to be smuggled into Sri Lanka.

The Q branch investigations showed that the gang were completely new and did have previous LTTE involvements.

The attempt by the gang is a new development after almost three months they found out. After those relatively calm months , and the fall of the LTTE, once again the smuggling modules have been reactivated according to reports. Apart from communication equipment they were also interested in narcotics.

According to the investigations very active smuggling operators were from Ramanathapuram area. Chennai city was mostly out of the picture except in July 2008 when the LTTE kingpin Thambi Anna alias Daniel controlled and coordinated most of those activities. But since January this year three people were arrested in the city, two with Swiss made satellite phones and the other with narcotics.

In 2008 50 cases could be arrested from Tamil Nadu ranging from military fatigues, raw material for explosives, provisions and communication equipment. Last year Q Branch intelligence was able to break into the network of smugglers with the arrest of Thambi Anna.