rapa
06-25-2007, 11:02 PM
wo people including one of the main leaders of the LTTE in London, A. Chrishanthakumar alias Shanthan were arrested under the UK terrorism act.
Police in London say they were arrested on suspicion of providing support to a banned organisation.
This is the first time a person connected with the Tamil Tigers has been arrested in the UK under the Terrorism act.
The arrests were made late on Thursday from two different locations in London. While Shanthan was arrested at his home in London, the other person was arrested on arrival at Heathrow airport.
The spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Alastair Campbell said "Two men, aged 29 and 50, were arrested on 21 June - one in west London and the other in south-west London".
addresses searched
"They were arrested on suspicion of providing support to a proscribed organisation... and taken to a central London police station, where they remain in custody".
They were arrested on suspicion of providing support to a proscribed organisation, contrary to Section 12 of the Terrorism Act, 2000
Metropolitan Police
"Some addresses in various locations in London are being searched in connection with the enquiry."
If the pair are being held for their suspected links to the Tamil Tigers, it will be the first time that people of Sri Lankan Tamil origin have been detained in the UK under the terrorism acts
Balasingham's ally
Suspect Shanthan is believed to have been close to the late Anton Balasingham, who was the theoretician of the LTTE.
He was often seen alongside Balasingham on his trips to Vanni from London.
Suspect Shanthan accompanied Balasingham and his wife Adel during their last visit to Geneva for peace talks in February 2006.
In April, police in Paris arrested more than sixteen men for alleged involvement with the Tigers.
Similar arrests were made in the United States last year, when at least five Tamil Tiger sympathisers were arrested and charged in New York with conspiring to buy surface-to-air missiles.
Eleven others were charged with "material support" for the rebel group.
Police in London say they were arrested on suspicion of providing support to a banned organisation.
This is the first time a person connected with the Tamil Tigers has been arrested in the UK under the Terrorism act.
The arrests were made late on Thursday from two different locations in London. While Shanthan was arrested at his home in London, the other person was arrested on arrival at Heathrow airport.
The spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Alastair Campbell said "Two men, aged 29 and 50, were arrested on 21 June - one in west London and the other in south-west London".
addresses searched
"They were arrested on suspicion of providing support to a proscribed organisation... and taken to a central London police station, where they remain in custody".
They were arrested on suspicion of providing support to a proscribed organisation, contrary to Section 12 of the Terrorism Act, 2000
Metropolitan Police
"Some addresses in various locations in London are being searched in connection with the enquiry."
If the pair are being held for their suspected links to the Tamil Tigers, it will be the first time that people of Sri Lankan Tamil origin have been detained in the UK under the terrorism acts
Balasingham's ally
Suspect Shanthan is believed to have been close to the late Anton Balasingham, who was the theoretician of the LTTE.
He was often seen alongside Balasingham on his trips to Vanni from London.
Suspect Shanthan accompanied Balasingham and his wife Adel during their last visit to Geneva for peace talks in February 2006.
In April, police in Paris arrested more than sixteen men for alleged involvement with the Tigers.
Similar arrests were made in the United States last year, when at least five Tamil Tiger sympathisers were arrested and charged in New York with conspiring to buy surface-to-air missiles.
Eleven others were charged with "material support" for the rebel group.