The three LTTE suspects who were arrested by authorities in Malaysia were brought to Sri Lanka last night and are currently in custody, police said.
Interpol had previously issued ‘red notice’ for the arrest of the men, suspected to be members of the banned terrorist outfit, on charges of attempting to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Sundaralinga Raja, Mahadevan Kirubaharan and Selvathurai Kirubananthan were arrested in Selangor, Malaysia.
They are currently in the custody of the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) for further investigations, police spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said, addressing a press conference in Colombo today.
The suspects were nabbed at different locations in Klang and Petaling Jaya in a special operation conducted by the Malaysian Special Branch’s Counter-Terrorism Division (CTD) on May 15. The men were also found to have been issued UNHCR cards.
Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar in a statement said the men, who hold UNHCR refugee cards, are suspected of attempting to revive the LTTE activities, especially at international level.
He said the suspects, who came to Malaysia in 2004, were suspected of using this country as their base to spread the group’s propaganda as well as to collect funds for their activities.
“In the operation, police also found and seized LTTE propaganda materials, media equipment as well as foreign currencies from 24 nations equivalent to RM 20,176.53.
“The suspects had been using UNHCR cards here to avoid from authorities’ action,” he said.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday vowed to perform a close and full examination of all facts following the arrests.
UNHCR spokesperson Yante Ismail said in principle, refugee protection was for those who are in genuine need of international protection when they have been forced to flee their countries due to armed conflict, persecution and serious human rights abuses.
