The Nation Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested nine Sri Lankans on Monday from a special camp for refugees in Tamil Nadu for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs and arms trade to revive the LTTE terror group.
The accused were identified as C. Gunashekharan alias Guna alias Prem Kumar, Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna, Mohammad Asmin, Alahapperumaga Sunil Ghamini Fonseca, Stanly Kennady Fernando, Ladiya, Dhanukka Roshan, Vella Suranka alias Gamage Suranga Pradeep, and Thilipan alias Dileepan.
A team led by SP Dharmaraj of the NIA, Kochi arrested the accused for drug trafficking and arms trafficking in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka in an attempt to revive the LTTE. They had been lodged at the special camp for their involvement in some other crimes.
After receiving approval from Trichy district collector M. Pradeepkumar, who verified the inmates’ case information, the NIA began the day-long interrogation. Later, NIA escorted the nine to Chennai to produce them in court.
In July 2022, the NIA filed a case in connection with the smuggling of drugs, arms, and ammunition from Pakistan to India and Sri Lanka in order to resurrect the LTTE.
Subsequently, an NIA team led by DIG Kaliraj Maheshkumar conducted a search on the premises of the Trichy special camp for foreign nationals on July 20. The NIA seized mobile phones, SIM cards, pen drives, hard drives, laptops, WiFi, and other electronic devices during the massive raid. The NIA found inmates with ties to the smuggling case.
The accused were arrested in connection with the seizure of narcotics and illegal arms on a boat intercepted near Vizhinjam Port. In 2021, defense forces intercepted a boat in the Arabian Sea near Kerala’s Vizhinjam Port. The boat contained 300 kg of heroin, five AK-47 machine guns, and 1000 rounds of 9 mm bullets, according to authorities.
It is noteworthy to mention that the DMK government released 16 Sri Lankan Tamil prisoners from the Trichy Special Camp on 2 July 2022, just days ahead of the NIA raid. The state government released the 16 Sri Lankans “after considering several aspects of their crime they were involved in”.
10 Sri Lankan Tamils were earlier released on 15 July 2021 by the DMK government.
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