Vizhinjam Arms case: NIA arrests former LTTE intelligence wing member in Chennai

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested from Chennai a Sri Lankan national and a former member of the intelligence wing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a key conspirator in Vizhinjam Arms case of Kerala, the agency said on Wednesday.

Satkunam alias Sabesan, 47, was arrested on Tuesday from his current residential location at Valsaravakkam in Chennai in connection with the Vizhinjam Arms case for his involvement in arms and drug trafficking from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, and utilizing the proceeds for furthering and supporting the revival of LTTE, a Tamil militant organization that was based in northeastern Sri Lanka.

The case was registered against six Sri Lankan nationals based on the complaint of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) that five AK-47 rifles and thousand rounds of 9mm ammunition along with 300 kg of heroin was seized off Minicoy coast upon interception of the fishing vessel Ravihansi by the Coast Gaurd on March 18 this year.

The NIA investigation has revealed that the accused Satkunam had arranged conspiracy meetings of sympathisers of LTTE in India and he had played a crucial role in routing the proceeds of drug trafficking to former LTTE cadres in Sri Lanka for the revival of LTTE.

( With inputs from ANI )