Monday, May 6, 2019

Criminal charges leveled against the LTTE

Tulsi Bhagat: Requesting speedy deletion (CSD G12). (TW)



This is a listing of various types of charges leveled against the [[Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]] (LTTE) by relevant state actors and agencies.

One factor that has greatly benefited the LTTE has been its sophisticated international support network. While some of the funding obtained by the LTTE is from legitimate fundraising, a significant portion is obtained through criminal activities, extortion among Tamil diaspora,<ref name="gt1">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> involving [[sea piracy]], [[human trafficking]], drug trafficking and [[gunrunning]].<ref name="rand"></ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref name='nydn-tgb-10/16/07'>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>

==Sea piracy==
The LTTE has been accused of [[Piracy|hijacking]] several vessels and ships in waters outside Sri Lanka,<ref name="vio"></ref> including ''Ocean Trader'' (in October 1994), ''Irish Mona'' (in August 1995), ''Princess Wave'' (in August 1996), ''Athena'' (in May 1997), ''Misen'' (in July 1997), ''Morong Bong'' (in July 1997), MV ''Cordiality'' (in September 1997), ''Princess Kash'' (in August 1998), ''Newko'' (in July 1999), ''Uhana'' (in June 2000), Fuyuan Ya 225 (Chinese [[Fishing trawler|trawler]], in March 2003), ''[[MV Farah III]]'' (in December 2006) and ''City of Liverpool'' (in January 2007).<ref name="vio"/><ref name="swati"></ref><ref name="def">[http://bit.ly/2PQbZzW The LTTE in brief] Ministry of Defence and Urban Development - Sri Lanka, p. 7. Retrieved on 19 January 2014</ref><ref name="def2">[http://bit.ly/2vEriCv Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 – May 2009] Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) Ministry of Defence and Urban Development – Sri Lanka, p. 19. Retrieved on 19 January 2014</ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref></ref> The MV ''Sik Yang'', a 2,818-ton [[Malaysia]]n-flag [[cargo ship]] which sailed from [[Tuticorin]], India on 25 May 1999, went missing in waters near Sri Lanka. The fate of the ship's crew of 15 is unknown. It was suspected that the vessel was hijacked by the LTTE to be used as a phantom vessel. Later, in 1999 it was confirmed that the vessel had been hijacked by the LTTE.<ref name="vio"/><ref name="def"/>

Likewise, the crew of a [[Jordan]]ian ship, ''[[MV Farah III]]'', that ran aground near LTTE-controlled territory off the island's coast, accused the Tamil Tigers of risking their lives and forcing them to abandon the vessel which was carrying 14,000 tonnes of Indian rice.<ref name="hnd1">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>

==Arms smuggling==

The LTTE members operated a cargo company called "Otharad Cargo" in the [[United Arab Emirates]]. There are reports that the LTTE met [[Taliban]] members and discussed the "Sharjah network", which existed in the [[Sharjah]] emirate of the United Arab Emirates. The Sharjah network was used by [[Victor Bout]], an arms-smuggling Russian intelligence agent, to provide the Taliban with weapons deliveries and other flights between Sharjah and Kandahar. Otharad Cargo reportedly received several consignments of military hardware from the Sharjah network.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2vBrFxA LTTE : The Jihadi Connection]. Jeremie Lanche. IPCS.</ref><ref>[http://bit.ly/2PKHL0W Tamil Tiger Links with Islamist Terrorist Groups]. Shanaka Jayasekara. 02/03/2008</ref>

The [[Mackenzie Institute]] claimed that LTTE's secretive international operations of the smuggling of weapons, explosives, and "dual use" technologies is attributed to the "KP Branch", headed by Selvarasa Pathmanathan prior to 2002.<ref name="mackenzie1">[http://bit.ly/2vErl19 Other people's wars: A Review of Overseas Terrorism in Canada, p. 46.], John Thompson, The Mackenzie Institute. Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> It also claims that the most expertly executed operation of the KP Branch was the theft of 32,400 rounds of 81&nbsp;mm [[Mortar (weapon)|mortar]] ammunition purchased from [[Tanzania]] destined for the Sri Lanka Army. Being aware of the purchase of 35,000 mortar bombs, the LTTE made a bid to the manufacturer through a numbered company and arranged a vessel of their own to pick up the load. Once the bombs were loaded into the ship, the LTTE changed the name and registration of their ship. The vessel was taken to Tiger-held territory in Sri Lanka's north instead of transporting it to its intended destination.<ref name="mackenzie1"/> In 2002, Prabhakaran appointed Castro as the international chief of LTTE. He overtook the responsibilities of arms smuggling and related activities from Pathmanathan.

==Extortion==
LTTE had [[coercion|coerced]] [[Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora]] and Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka to give it money, by threatening the safety of their relatives or property in areas under its control.<ref name="uthrf">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref name="siaw">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref name="swiss">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>

==Money laundering==
In 2008–2009, a report on ″Money laundering and the financing of terrorism″ to the European Union Committee stated a case study related to the LTTE which evidenced the implantation of this terrorist group in number of EU member states.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2PMK1Vz Money laundering and the financing of terrorism: 19th report of session 2008–09, Vol. 2: Evidence], retrieved on 18 January 2014.</ref> In January 2011, [[Switzerland|Swiss]] authorities arrested several LTTE members on money laundering.<ref name="moneylaund">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> The Swiss Federal Criminal Court has given no prison terms to alleged financiers of the LTTE. It said the 13 accused were either given suspended custodial sentences or acquitted.<ref>http://bit.ly/2vErnGj
</ref>

==Passport forgery==
In the early 1990s, Canadian authorities uncovered a passport forgery scheme run by Canadian Tamils with links to the LTTE, including one of its founding members.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2PQbZzW ″LTTE in brief″], Ministry of Defence and Urban Development – Sri Lanka. p. 7.</ref><ref>[http://bit.ly/2PKXbm3 Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada,'' Sri Lanka: Alien Smuggling'', 1 May 1996], accessed 2 February 2014.</ref> In December 2010, Spanish and Thai police uncovered another passport forgery scheme attributed to LTTE.<ref name="forg">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>

==Drug trafficking==
A number of intelligence agencies have accused LTTE of involvement in drug trafficking. In 2010, citing [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] sources, ''[[Jane's Intelligence Review]]'' said the LTTE controls a portion of the one billion dollar drug market in [[Montreal]], Quebec.<ref name="def3">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> It also states narcotics smuggling using its merchant ships, is one of the main ways of earning money out of its $300&nbsp;million annual income. The [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] states that LTTE has historically served as the drug couriers moving narcotics into Europe.<ref name="just">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Indian authorities accused LTTE operatives of previously bringing narcotics to [[Mumbai]] from [[Mandsaur District]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]], Rajasthan and Punjab border.Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2) The drugs were then transported to coastal towns in Tamil Nadu such as [[Thoothukudi|Tuticorin]], [[Rameswaram]], [[Ramanathapuram]], [[Nagapattinam]] and [[Kochi]], in Kerala State.<ref name="toid">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>

==Credit card fraud==
LTTE was also involved in [[credit card fraud]], in the United Kingdom. In 2010, [[Special Task Force|STF]] arrested the mastermind behind this fraud, Neshanadan Muruganandan ''alias'' Anandan. LTTE had cloned credit cards using [[Personal identification number|PIN]] and card numbers obtained from unsuspecting card holders in the United Kingdom, and funds were later transferred out of their accounts.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref name="defn">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref><ref name="justr">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> In 2007, Norwegian authorities sentenced six LTTE members for skimming more than 5.3&nbsp;million Norwegian kroner in a similar credit card scam.<ref name="justrty">Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>

==Cyber attacks==

In August 1997, an organisation calling themselves the Internet Black Tigers claimed responsibility for the E-mail harassment of various Sri Lankan networks around the world. The group sent mass Emails which contained the text "We are the Internet Black Tigers and we're doing this to disrupt your communications". They were also responsible for repeated attacks on official sites of numerous other governments. </ref><ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (2 for 1)</ref><ref name="ken"></ref><ref></ref><ref></ref>}} The LTTE is also accused of having pioneered online fund raising through solicitation and various cyber crimes including identity theft and credit card fraud.<ref></ref>

LTTE is also known to use the internet for criminal profit. In such an attack on Sheffield University's computer system they were able to capture legitimate user IDs and passwords of well respected academics and to use them for propaganda and fund raising in a covert manner.<ref name="ban" /><ref name="ken" />

==See Also==
* [[Affiliates to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]]
* [[Alleged war crimes during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War]]



==References==


[[Category:Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam]]


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