UK Tamil procured war material, funds for LTTE, court told

The outlawed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) procured war-stores and raised funds for its activities in the UK, an ongoing trial of a 'prominent figure' in the Tamil community here has revealed.

Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar, 52, a self-confessed member of the LTTE, was found to have procured material, electric components and raised funds for the organisation banned in UK despite warnings by the authorities to stop his activities.

Some of the components he procured allegedly had "an obvious terrorist purpose", the court was told, though Chrishanthakumar, also known as Shanthan, has denied any conspiracy charges.

He is also charged with amassing a hoard of military equipment including machetes, combat boots, camouflage clothes, spades and handcuffs, The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday.

Another charge alleged that he received terrorist documents including guides to underwater warfare systems, explosive ordnance disposal and mine clearance.

He is also accused of two further offences - receiving money and belonging to a proscribed organisation, namely the LTTE.

The five offences are alleged to have taken place between January 2003 and June 2007.

Three other men, Jegatheswaran Muraleetharan (Muralee), 46, and his brother, Jeyatheswaran Vythyatharan (Vithy), 40, from Powys, Wales, and Murugesu Jegatheeswaran (Jegan), 34, from Mitcham, south London, are charged with
receiving electronic items for use in terrorism. All have denied the charges. 

Laidlaw, prosecuting lawyer, told the jury that the defendants, all Tamils from the island of Sri Lanka, were supporters of the LTTE, and that Shanthan was a "full-fledged member of the group."

He said Shanthan, who has lived in the UK for many years, was "quite openly" a LTTE member and head of the United Tamil Organisation in this country, before it became a proscribed organisation, in 2001.

In 2004, the police became aware Shanthan was buying military clothing and equipment for shipment to LTTE forces in Sri Lanka from an army surplus store in Southsea, Hampshire, the court heard.

Shanthan was not arrested but was told the authorities had "become aware" of this aspect of his procurement activity and he was told to desist. But in July 2007, police carried out searches at Shanthan's home.

"What became clear was that his procurement activity had extended far beyond the equipment brought from the army surplus shop in Southsea and, despite the warning when the police became aware of that activity, he had continued with his support activity on the LTTE's behalf," Laidlaw said.

This included receiving money for funding purposes and the procurement of more military equipment and military manuals, it was alleged.

Laidlaw told the jury the LTTE had been involved in a struggle for an independent homeland for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka for about 30 years.

Membership of the group in the UK became illegal in 2001, he said, as did, and is, activity in support of that group.

The prosecutor told the court the initial police investigation into Chrishanthakumar's activities uncovered evidence of the procurement of electrical components including computers, printed circuit boards (PCBs), remote control equipment, components associated with radio transmitting devices and also satellite equipment.

At the home of each of the defendants, the police also found evidence of their LTTE sympathies, their loyalty to the LTTE and its separatist cause, "no doubt providing the motivation for their involvement in these offences," he said.