Police in France have arrested six Sri Lankan Tamils accused of killing a police officer in Paris, officials said.

BBC reports that Minister Counsellor, Sri Lankan embassy in Paris Sugeeswara Senadheera told BBC Sinhala service that all arrested were members of the LTTE.

The French policeman was shot dead, Mr. Senadheera said, as he questioned the group collecting money for a banned organisation.
“The only banned organisation that Tamil people are collecting money in France is the LTTE,” Sugeeswara was quoted as saying by the website.

Leader of the group was identified as Kandaiyah, a man who has links with the LTTE, according to the official. A Tamil woman is also among the arrested.

Sri Lankan embassy in Paris, he said, is helping the French police with the investigations.

Mr. Senadheera added that the police have found police officer’s pistol, which was reported to be used for the murder, in the rubbish bin in front of the main suspect.

The French police have arrested 19 suspected LTTE members, last year.

“There is also a link between the two incidents as the shooting incident has happened in front of the LTTE Paris leader’s residence,” he said.