Tamil Tiger agent held in Chennai

(December 29, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) According to a media release, the ‘Q’ Branch police on Saturday arrested a Sri Lankan national who allegedly acted as an agent of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Chennai. Police said the accused Ameer Anthony Paranthaman of Jaffna had planned to transfer communication devices and chemicals to Sri Lanka via Rameshwaram. He and his wife had settled in Chennai and were running a travel agency.

According to the official press release, Ameer was apprehended on Saturday night at the Tambaram bus terminus and a satellite phone in his possession was seized.

Upon interrogation, he had revealed that he had received two consignments with eight GPS devices, three satellite phones, two cell phone repeaters and 500 kg of ammonium nitrate sent by two LTTE agents from Switzerland.

Ameer had placed the communication devices and the chemical in custody of one Ashok Kumar of Acharappakkam. He was awaiting a green signal from LTTE members Kannan and Prakash in Sri Lanka to transport the goods to them via boat from Rameshwaram, said the release. Police seized the communication gadgets including GPS devices and satellite phones and the ammonium nitrate packed in 10 sacks. Ameer was later remanded to judicial custody, the press release added. - Sri Lanka Guardian