The National Investigation Agency of India has filed a case against five persons, including a Sri Lankan woman, for raising money through forged documents to further the activities of the LTTE.
Arrested were the woman Lechchuman Mary Francisco along with Keniston Fernando, K. Baskaran, Johnson Samuel, and L. Sellamuttu.
Born in Sri Lanka, 51-year-old Lechchuman Mary Francisco, moved to Canada several years ago and became a permanent resident there. The woman entered India in December 2019 on a one-year valid tourist visa.
She stayed in India, citing the reasons as COVID-19 lockdown. She then rented a house in Shakti Colony in Anna Nagar. She hid her nationality and forged documents to obtain a rental house, which she used to obtain an LPG connection in her name. Using the LPG connection, she also obtained an Indian passport and a voter ID card.
She was arrested on a tip-off while trying to fly to Bangalore. The investigation was transferred to the National Investigation Agency of India (NIA) after it was revealed that she had links with members of the LTTE who were active at the time.
According to Indian sources, the case has been handed over to the NIA in view of a major conspiracy and international repercussions.
She was arrested at the Chennai airport while preparing to board a flight to Mumbai. The suspect was found in possession of an Indian passport obtained using forged documents.
According to Indian sources, the probe was intensified following another arrest in October. That is, in Sabsena, with the arrest of a former LTTE intelligence officer in connection with a firearms racket.
According to Indian sources, the men were playing an active role in trying to revive the LTTE.
The NIA stated that the accused had taken money from the Mumbai Fort branch of the Overseas Bank of India. The money was being withdrawn to revive and continue the LTTE’s activities.
An Indian intelligence official has said that the LTTE in Sri Lanka has remained silent since its collapse.
However, in the last two to three years, there have been various signals that they are trying to re-awaken themselves, according to Indian reports.
According to Indian sources, they are trying to use their court case in Tamil Nadu to spread their message, especially targeting the youth.
According to those reports, the LTTE proponents hope that background necessary to re-launch their operations in Sri Lanka will be able created from Tamil Nadu.
Earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu CID’s crime unit found a Sri Lankan-made pistol in Madurai used by a Sri Lankan drug lord Angoda.
The Angoda lokka died of a heart attack in July 2020. The Indian CID has said that the five-bullet pistol was buried by a Madurai lawyer and that his father was a pro-LTTE activist.
According to Indian reports, the agency has stated that there was a connection between Sabesan and the arrested boss who was arrested for being involved in drug and arms smuggling from Pakistan.
