|
|
|
Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - 4.55 GMT |
|
Two plead guilty in LTTE terrorism case
in NY
|
|
|
|
NEW YORK: Two of four defendants pleaded
guilty Monday to charges they tried to
supply missiles and assault weapons to LTTE.
U.S. authorities said the men took part in a
secret mission to help LTTE by buying and
smuggling hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of surface-to-air missiles and guns,
Associated Press reported.
The FBI engineered a sting in which three of
the men drove from Canada to New York in
2006 to meet with undercover agents posing
as black-market arms dealers.
After the men crossed the border, the
undercover agents lured them to a warehouse,
where they were caught on videotape and
arrested after allegedly agreeing to an
initial shipment of 10 surface-to-air
missiles and 500 AK-47s.
The videotaped sting was central to an
unusual case against four alleged agents of
the LTTE.
Along with missiles, the men also wanted
guns, according to court papers.
On Monday, just as jury selection was due to
begin, Nadarasa Yogarasa and Sathajhan
Sarachandran, pleaded guilty to providing
material support to terrorists.
The case against two other men — Sahilal
Sabaratnam and Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam —
was expected to go forward.
According to authorities Sabaratnam and
Thanigasalam would be the first to ever go
to trial in a U.S. court on charges of
supporting terrorists.
The four defendants each face up to 30 years
in prison if convicted.
Meanwhile two brothers from Mid Wales,
United Kingdom accused of supporting the
LTTE were standing trial in London today.
The brothers are among four men whose trial
was starting at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown
Court in London today.
Jegatheswaran Muraleetharan, also known as
Muralee Tharan, of Beechwood Drive, Newtown,
and Jeyatheswaran Vythyatharan, also known
as Vithy Tharan, of Crescent Gardens,
Newtown, both deny conspiring to support the
LTTE.
They were arrested by officers from the
Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism
command following raids in Old Kerry Road,
Crescent Gardens and Beechwood Drive in
Newtown in April last year.
|
|
|
|
Contact Information: Send
mail to