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Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 9.43 GMT |
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TN Police breaks supply chain of LTTE |
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The Q Branch of the Tamil Nadu police on
yesterday busted a major LTTE procurement
network, seizing five imported Yamaha
outboard motors with a 40-horse-power
capacity each.
In connection with the seizures, three
persons, including a Sri Lankan from
Manalmelkudi in Pudukottai, were taken into
custody, Times of India reported today.
The Q Branch team nabbed Kumargurubaran
(28), a resident of Chennai, Ramesh (37),
hailing from Ramanathapuram, and Manamohan
(28) from Pesalai, Sri Lanka, from near the
Kattumanadi bus stop near Manalmelkudi on
Tuesday. The motors were meant to be
transported to Sri Lanka for the LTTE in a
boat kept ready by Ramesh.
"The gang had transported the motors from
Chennai to Pudukkottai and was planning to
take them by sea to Sri Lanka. We are yet to
ascertain whose name the import consignment
had been booked under and who collected it
from the Chennai Port. There are more
persons involved in the procurement of the
motors and the investigation is on to find
them," a senior police official told The
Times of India.
Police said Manamohan was the key player in
this procurement network, co-ordinating the
operation. "He arranged for the payment and
co-ordinated the procurement. The seized
motors are worth around Rs. 7 lakh in the
market," the official said.
These outboard motors are used to convert
conventional boats into high speed boats.
The Sea Tigers use them in their strike
boats.
Ramesh, who is among those detained, has a
history of cases against him relating to
smuggling goods to Sri Lanka. "He was
arrested on a few occasions earlier while
attempting to smuggle goods to Sri Lanka. We
are now checking the back ground of the
other two accused," the official added.
With the increased vigil by the law
enforcement agencies in Tamil Nadu to check
smuggling of goods to LTTE from Tamil Nadu,
nearly four to six cases are being detected
every month as against one case a month or
even one case every two months couple of
years back.
The LTTE has been procuring explosives,
detonators, resin, boat parts, chopped coir
mats for building boats, chemicals, clothes,
adhesives, walkie-talkies, GPSs and mobile
SIM cards from India.
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