News

Canada has begun to tighten the screws on the LTTE in the wake of last weeks FBI crackdown leading to the arrest of 15 LTTE members who allegedly attempted to purchase Surface-to-Air missiles to be used against the Israeli built ‘Kfir’ fighter jet aircraft used by Sri Lanka Air force to bomb LTTE strategic targets.

According to FBI reports six persons involved in the alleged conspiracy were said to be Canadians. Three of them who were arrested in Canada are facing extradition charges.

After this year’s change of government in Canada the newly elected Conservative party took steps to probe the activities of several Tamil Charity organisations which were suspected to have used the donations they received for funding terrorist activities in Sri Lanka.

In an operation code-named OSALUKI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) carried out a four-year investigation on LTTE front organisations and other LTTE activities. The RCMP handed over its first report to the Canadian government on July 19.

The 58 page document reveals the covert methods used by terrorist organizations such as the LTTE to raise funds in developed countries to support their terrorist activities in Third World countries.

The evidence produced in an Ontario court led to the immediate issue of search warrants to probe the operations of the World Tamil Movement (WTM), a registered non-profit organization, which had its offices in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Three addresses in Toronto were searched -- the WTM headquarters at 39 Consentino Dr; the Tamil Academy of Arts and Technology at 240 Wellesley St. E.; and a company called Ambal Trading at 591 Parliament St. – they were said to be used as LTTE financing centres.

During the raid, the RCMP found equipment used to produce LTTE-themed CDs, including more than 4,000 labels showing Tiger themes -- including suicide operations -- and indicating that they were being re-released by the WTM, catalogues of weapons, training manuals of missile guidance weapons and documents pertaining to methods of suicide bombing and various documents on donations received from LTTE supporters.

On top of that, the RCMP also uncovered a large stash of LTTE merchandise that the WTM was allegedly selling, such as LTTE watches, hats, wall clocks, key chains, calendars, flags, caps, compasses and car stickers.

RCMP also seized photos and videos of young children in a Toronto high school auditorium acting in plays that glorified the Tamil Tigers and paying homage to LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The RCMP affidavit lists 21 other organizations which it says were "fully co-mingled" with the WTM. They included the Tamil University Students Organization; the Tamil Women’s Organization; Tamil Academy of Arts and Technology; World Tamil Movement Sports Division; the "Vanikam" Business Directory; Ulagathamilar newspaper; LTTE political and Propaganda Division.

Last Saturday the FBI arrested four LTTE members who had attempted to purchase 10 SA-18 Surface-to-Air missiles and 500 AK-47 assault rifles for a price of US $1millinon from undercover FBI officers who were disguised as arms dealers in Long Island, New York. They have nabbed a total of 15 suspects up to now and are facing trail in the US.

Of the 15 people arrested last week, three of them who arrived at Long Island to purchase the weapons were said to be Canadian citizens. FBI investigations identified the three Canadians as Sathajhan Sarachandran alias Satha, Sahilal Sabaratnam alias Sahil and Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam alias Thani.

FBI agents also searched the office of a Cumberland physician who is president of a Sri Lankan charitable organization suspected of funneling money to the LTTE.

They seized five computers and documents related to Dr. N. Ranjithan’s work with the U.S. branch of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO).

According to the FBI a computer belonging to the TRO held records of a range of weapons and missiles and a price list of the weapons.

The FBI also discovered a list of e-mail addresses of people whom the FBI identified as arms dealers.

FBI Special Agent Steven Siegel who is conducting the investigation in New York told The Sunday Times by telephone that they have identified more suspects involved in the weapons conspiracy. He said most of the LTTE front organisation accounts have been frozen.

“Numerous search warrants have been issued to arrest more suspects. We have already put a tab on the finances of the LTTE charity organisations,” he said.

When asked about Congressman Davis’s involvement, special agent Siegel declined to comment as there was an ongoing investigation.

Interpol investigation has revealed that LTTE had formed youth organizations to continue with its activities in the western countries as a result of the current proscriptions.

It is believed that the LTTE had done this to replace its established fronts like the World Tamil Movement in Canada, Tamil Coordination Committees in Australia and USA, British Tamil Association in the UK.

Guided by the US model of the National Tamil Youth Organisation, TYOs are formed in many countries and a common logo was used by them, Interpol revealed.

London’s Scotland Yard for several years has been carrying out investigations into Tamil charity groups financing LTTE activities. Scotland Yard had also established a special unit to crack down on Tamil gangs reported to be extorting funds from Tamil expatriates living in Britain.