The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has submitted a charge sheet in a special court in Tamil Nadu, adding another accused to a case related to the resurgence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka and India through illegal trafficking of arms and narcotics.
According to an official statement released on 17 February 2024, the NIA identified the newly accused individual in the charge sheet as Lingam A, also known as Adilingam. This brings the total number of accused individuals in the case, registered in 2022, to 16. Adilingam, believed to be associated with the Tamil film industry, is listed as the 14th accused.
NIA Chargesheets 14th Accused in TN Conspiracy to Revive LTTE Through Drugs & Arms Trafficking pic.twitter.com/P00HROc8TW
— NIA India (@NIA_India) February 17, 2024
The NIA alleges in the charge sheet that Adilingam conspired and took actions to revive the banned terror organization by engaging in illegal arms and narcotics trade. Additionally, Adilingam purportedly served as an agent for collecting hawala money generated from the sale of narcotic drugs, which was then used to support LTTE activities. The charge sheet was filed in the Special Court for NIA Cases at Poonamallee in Chennai.
It is disclosed in the charge sheet that Adilingam, working as a production executive in the Tamil film industry, also operated covertly as a key operative for major LTTE leaders, cadres, and drug traffickers, including Gunasekaran and his son Thilipan, both Sri Lankan citizens.
The NIA had previously filed a charge sheet on 15 June 2023, against 13 accused individuals in the same case. They were charged with conspiracies across various parts of Tamil Nadu related to terrorist activities and drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean’s territorial waters. The case originated from the NIA’s Kochi branch investigation following the seizure of a substantial shipment of drugs and weapons by Indian agencies in 2021, including over 300 kilograms of heroin, five AK-47 rifles, and 1,000 rounds of Pakistan-made ammunition.
This recent incident is not the first time the NIA has conducted raids related to the LTTE. On 2 February 2024, in response to concerns about the potential resurgence of funding for the LTTE, the National Investigation Agency carried out raids at more than 10 locations in Tamil Nadu. The focus was particularly on uncovering financial networks supporting the LTTE. The targeted places included premises associated with members of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) party, with the raids spanning Coimbatore, Trichy, Sivagangai, and Tenkasi districts. According to reports, crucial documents were confiscated from Vishnu Prathap, the Sivagangai district secretary of NTK. Additionally, Sattai Duraimurugan, another office bearer of NTK, has received a summons from the NIA.
In April 2023, Muhammad Iliyaz, a trader in Chennai, was arrested by the NIA for alleged links with Sri Lankan Tamil smugglers attempting to revive the banned LTTE through drug and arms trafficking.
In December 2022, nine Sri Lankans from a refugee camp in Tamil Nadu were arrested for their alleged involvement in illegal drug and arms trade to revive the LTTE terror group.
In October 2022, the NIA raided the residence of Vigneswaran (27) in Sivaganga, who was alleged to have connections with some cadres of the now-defunct LTTE and was working in Chennai.
In March 2022, the NIA investigated terror funding for the LTTE, filing a charge sheet against six people who conspired with foreign entities to siphon off money from dormant bank accounts using forged identity documents.
(With Inputs From TheNewIndianExpress)
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