"Even if the LTTE did not target Canada specifically, the outcomes could still be devastation," he said.

RCMP Commissioner said this after Canadian Immigration officials alleged to have found trace amounts of explosives aboard a cargo ship that smuggled 76 Sri Lankans to Canada's West Coast last month.

Canada is "one of the few places in the world where LTTE terrorists and supporters might seek to hide in plain sight, and potentially launch terrorist operations," Mr. Elliott further said.

Violence and intimidation had been used to collect "war taxes" in Canada for the LTTE, he emphasized.

Since the Cambodian-registered "Ocean Lady" arrived in Canadian waters on Oct. 17, Canadian police and its immigration officials have been investigating the identities and backgrounds of its human cargo.

One of the men who made the month-long voyage from Southeast Asia has been identified as Kartheepan Manickavasagar, who is wanted by Sri Lanka for his alleged role in a procurement ring that smuggled electronic equipment to the Tamil Tigers.

The Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board held detention reviews for most of the men last week but a dozen cases were adjourned until this week after the Canada Border Services Agency indicated it would be seeking their detention on grounds of security, reported the National Post.