The Danushkodi police have arrested four Sri Lankan Tamils, including a former accountant of the LTTE, on charges of illegal entry when they clandestinely landed at Arichamunai, off Danushkodim India, in the early hours of Wednesday.

Deputy Superintendent of Police T. Vijayakumar said the four were walking towards the coast after getting dropped in chest-deep water, when the patrolling police arrested and brought them to the Danushkodi station.

The police identified them as S. Sathish, 39, who had worked as an accountant with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), S. Ravindran alias Ravi,38, who had worked in the Eelam People’s Democratic Party, J. Santhi, 38, and Malar, 55.

Since all of them had not possessed valid documents, they were arrested under Section 3 (a) read with 6(a) of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, the DSP said.

“After they are produced before the Magistrate court, they are likely to be lodged at the Central Prison at Puzhal, near Chennai,” he said.

The police said that the Tamils had paid Rs. 10,000 each in Sri Lankan money for the boat ride from Mannar.

Hailing from Kilinochchi and Vavuniya districts, they left Mannar at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in a fibreglass boat and arrived here around 1.30 a.m.

Two boatmen returned after dropping them, the police added.

Enquiries revealed that Sathish, who had studied BA (Accounts), had served in the LTTE as an accountant from 2004 until the final phase of the war in 2009.

He had come to Tamil Nadu by flight with his wife S. Kalaivani and three children in December 2013, and returned in March, leaving behind his wife and children after expiry of visa. He now came to visit his wife and children, who were staying at the Keezhkuthapattu camp in Puducherry, he claimed.

Ravindran had also come to Tamil Nadu in July 1990 with his parents and family members and returned in 2004 with his parents, while his four sisters and two brothers stayed back. He came to visit his brothers and sisters, he said.

Santhi and Malar, too, had come to Tamil Nadu in 1990. Santhi had stayed at the Mandapam refugee camp till 2002 before returning with her three children.

Malar returned in 2004 after staying at the Kallakuruchi camp.

Santhi had left behind her children with her mother in Vavuniya district.

Malar said she had come to visit her granddaughter at the Cheyyar camp, the Hindu reports.