Bukit Aman Terrorism Division Arrests Three Tamil Tiger Suspects
The three suspects arrested in multiple raids in Petaling Jaya and Klang are said to be members of the Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who played major roles in planning suicide bombings in the Sri Lankan civil war.
By Judith Yeoh — 26 May 2014, 01:39 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
"They were using Malaysia as a base to secure funds, spread their propaganda and were attempting to revive the defunct terrorist group," says Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar
One of the three suspects arrested by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division
Image via imgur.comThe trio, captured in a counterterror operation on May 15 in Malaysia's Selangor state, were accused of being members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a guerrilla group defeated by Sri Lanka government forces in 2009 after more than 25 years of civil war. The suspects weren't identified, and it was unclear if legal counsel had been appointed.
Three men, suspected of being members of the Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were detained by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division.
thestar.com.myThe three suspects have been in Malaysia since 2004 along with their families, masking behind their UNHCR status as refugees
The suspects, aged between 39 and 45, who had masked their activities with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) status, were nabbed by Special Branch's Counter-Terrorism Division (SB-CTD) officers on May 15.
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A source told the New Straits Times yesterday that the senior ranking member entered the country in 2004 with the other two suspects -- LTTE's Air Tigers (air wing) deputy commander and media division deputy chief. The suspects also brought their families with them and took up jobs in the country.
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Investigations revealed that the suspects played major roles in the Sri Lankan Civil War including planning suicide bombings
The source said the suspects played important roles in LTTE in Sri Lanka during the Sri Lankan Civil War (between 1983 and 2009), such as planning suicide bombings.
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Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) propaganda materials, media equipment and 24 foreign currencies totalling around RM20,000 were seized
"Our officers found they had engaged former members to continue with their struggle.
"Initial investigations revealed that the suspects had spread LTTE ideology to former members, who had fled to other countries after the terrorist group was defeated by the Sri Lankan government in 2009," said the source, adding the trio had asked former members to collect funds to revive terrorism activities in Sri Lanka.
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"We managed to track the suspects using the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards. "The trio were using the cards to stay in Malaysia and avoid action from the authorities," he said.
thestar.com.mySince 2009, police have arrested and repatriated eight former Tamil Tiger members to Sri Lanka
Since 2009, police have arrested and repatriated eight former LTTE members to Sri Lanka.
Among those repatriated were 33-year-old Thirugnasampandar Manivannan, believed to be attached to the intelligence wing of the LTTE. He was arrested in Jinjang Utara here in June 2009.
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The LTTE were the first militia group to assassinate two world leaders. They also pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks and invented the 'suicide belt'
Leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Velupillai Prabhakaran, flanked by Indian guards
Image via guim.co.ukThe Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (commonly known as the LTTE or the Tamil Tigers), was a separatist militant organisation that was based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Velupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a secessionist nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil people. This campaign evolved into the Sri Lankan Civil War, which ran from 1983 until 2009, when the LTTE was defeated by the Sri Lankan Military.
At the height of its power, the LTTE possessed a well-developed militia and carried out many high-profile attacks, including the assassinations of several high-ranking Sri Lankan and Indian politicians. The LTTE was the only militant group to assassinate two world leaders: Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993 and former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, were integral parts of its pursuit to create a monoethnic Tamil Eelam. The LTTE invented the suicide belts and pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks. It was the first militant group to acquire air power and used light aircraft in some of its attacks. As a result of its tactics, it is currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries, including India, but has support amongst some Tamils in Tamil Nadu in India.
The Tamil Tigers, claiming to represent Sri Lanka's mostly Hindu Tamils, battled for a separate state against the government, which is largely Sinhalese and Buddhist. The U.S. and other countries have labeled the Tamil Tigers a foreign terrorist organization in connection with a raft of suicide bombings and political assassinations.