9 Sri Lankans including underworld figures arrested in TN refugee camp

India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested nine Sri Lankans from a special camp in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy in a case relating to illegal drugs and arms trade in Sri Lanka and India.

The accused were identified as C. Gunasekaran alias ‘Kimbula Ela Guna’ alias Prem Kumar, Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna, Mohammad Asmin, Alahapperumage Sunil Gamini Fonseka, Stanly Kennedy Fernando, ‘Ladiya’, Dhanuka Roshan, Gamage Suranga Pradeep alias ‘Welle Suranga’, and Thilipan alias Dileepan.

They were arrested from the special camp for Tamil refugees at Tiruchirapalli for their alleged involvement in smuggling of drugs and arms to revive the activities of the LTTE.

The case pertains to activities of a Sri Lankan drug mafia controlled by Gunasekaran and Pushparajah, in association with Pakistan-based arms and drug supplier Haji Salim, operating in illegal drugs and arms for the revival of the LTTE in India and Sri Lanka, and to further its violent activities.

The case was registered suo moto by the NIA on July 8 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Further investigations in the matter are on.

Those arrested have been identified as C Gunasekaran alias ‘Kimbula Ela Guna’, a resident of Colombo, who was key person in the alleged LTTE revival conspiracy in association with Pakistani national Haji Salim; Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna; Mohammad Asmin; Alahapperumage Sunil Gamini Fonseka, Stanly Kennedy Fernando, Ladiya Chandrasena, Dhanukka Roshan, Welle Suranga and Thilipan. 

“The case pertains to activities of a Sri Lankan drug mafia controlled by C Gunasekaran and Guna and Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna, in association with Haji Salim, drug and arms supplier based in Pakistan, which has been operating in India and Sri Lanka in illegal drugs and arms for the revival of LTTE in India and Sri Lanka,” said NIA in a statement.

Haji Salim, according to a counter-terrorism official in Delhi, “runs one of the biggest networks of smuggling drugs and arms from Pakistan to Sri Lanka”.

The agency did not describe role of other arrested persons in the case.

The federal anti terror probe agency has registered at least four cases since last year to probe conspiracy by several LTTE cadres based in India and Sri Lanka to revive the activities of the banned outfit by indulging in arms smuggling, ferrying of drugs and using hawala for transfer of funds.

Earlier, NIA charged some active LTTE cadres including a Sri Lankan woman Letchumanan Mary Franciska and five others for forging documents to use a bank account so that LTTE’s activities can be funded.

While filing a charge sheet against them on March 29 this year, the NIA said – “Mary Franciska, T Kenniston Fernando and K Baskaran entered into a conspiracy with foreign entities to siphon off deposits in dormant bank accounts by using Indian identity documents obtained fraudulently and forging identity documents to revive, revamp and regroup LTTE in India and Sri Lanka. They were abetted by Johnson Samuvel, Dharmendran and Mohan in forging Indian identity documents.”

In October last year, a former intelligence officer of LTTE – Satkunam alias Sabesan was arrested in a probe into seizure of five AK47 rifles, thousands of rounds of 9 mm ammunition and 300 kg of heroin from fishing vessel Ravihansi, which was intercepted by the Coast Guard off the coast of Minicoy in Lakshwadeep on March 18, 2021.

“Sebastian played a crucial role in routing the proceeds of drugs trafficking to former LTTE cadres in Sri Lanka for the revival of LTTE,” the agency said in a statement in October 2021.

--Agencies