London Court bans LTTE extortion enforcer
[Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 11.30 GMT]

The Stratford Magistrates Court has imposed a five year ban under an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) on a LTTE operative leading a gang of Tamil Tiger extortionists that has compelled people to pay from 5,000 to 25,000 Pounds Sterling collected for the LTTE.

The Newnham Council and Metropolitan Police told the Magistrate that Senthuraj Thavapalasingham, 20, of Romford, (nicknamed "Psycho") is the enforcer leading a gang of Tamil Tiger extortionists, known as the “East
Side Boys”. They are known to collect money for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a terrorist organization in Sri Lanka, the court was told.

Chief Inspector Derrick Griffiths said this gang has been working in Newnham for two years. "To my knowledge there are around five Tamil gangs operating in London,” he said.

The Stratford Court was told that this gang of about 30 young men aged between 15 and 32, were paid by an organization called the LTTE, to extort money from local businessmen and residents. Their victims were paying
anywhere between £5,000 and £25,000 a year. In one case a businessman had paid £25,000 a year for four years.

The catalogue of offences and anti-social activities carried out by Thavapalasingham and his gang included:

Extortion of £2,000 from a shopkeeper, presence during an attack on a jogger who was stabbed in the leg, being armed with a samurai sword while in pursuit of a man. Police witness statements accused him of: Firearms offences, robbery, kidnap, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and witness intimidation.

Counsel for the authorities James Sandham said: "This ASBO application isn’t only about restricting his physical presence in the borough. The order the authorities seek is in part to do with restricting him from the borough and in part restricting him from contacting other members of the gang or any businessmen."

He added: "Whilst the individual has behaved in an anti-social way he has at all times been a member of a gang which has terrorized the residents of Newnham."

This ASBO bans the LTTE operative Thavapalasingham from entering Newnham, associating or communicating with Pratheebam Kunasekaram, Kirubananthasara
Gunaratham and Kaneshan Kanagaradnam, demanding money from anyone in Newnham, unless lawfully due, congregating in public places in groups of two or more people and acting in any way to cause any person in Newnham to fear for their safety.

Thavapalasingham was also ordered to pay £3,691.75 council costs.

Failure to comply with the order can lead upon conviction to a fine or imprisonment for up to five years or both, for an adult.

In the United Kingdom an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) is a civil order made against a person shown to have engaged in anti-social behaviour, defined as "conduct which caused or was likely to cause alarm, harassment, or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as him or herself and where an ASBO is seen as necessary to protect relevant persons
from further anti-social acts by the Defendant".

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Last Updated Date: May 15, 2007 -11.30 GMT