India arrests Sri Lankan for arms trafficking to revive LTTE

One more Sri Lankan national, alleged to be a former member of the intelligence wing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was picked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Vizhinjam arms case.

The arrested has been identified as Satkunam alias Sabesan, who was residing at Valsaravakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The investigation has revealed that the accused had arranged conspiracy meetings of sympathisers of LTTE in India. He had played a crucial role in routing the proceeds of drug trafficking to former LTTE cadres in Sri Lanka for the revival of the LTTE, the agency said in a communication.

Satkunam, according to the NIA communication, was arrested for his involvement in arms and drugs trafficking from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, and utilising the proceeds of the crime for furthering and supporting the revival of the LTTE.

The agency had earlier arrested nine persons, including some Sri Lankan nationals, from a fishing vessel Ravihansi in March this year.

The NIA took over the investigation in the case after a complaint from the Narcotics Control Bureau against the Sri Lankan nationals. The Coast Guard had intercepted the fishing vessel off Minicoy coast on March 18 and recovered AK-47 rifles and one thousand rounds of 9mm ammunition and 300 kg heroin from them. (Hindu)