Arrested police inspector and Ilankoowan reveal vital information, Imgae: Muththusami Ilankoowan with Casthro, the head of the LTTE's coordinating centre for International activities._______________________________
(March 08, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) With the arrest of several top leaders and informants of the Liberation of Tigers Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from Colombo and its suburbs, the Colombo intelligence network of the Tigers has been exposed and curtailed.
Two main intelligence groups directly under the LTTE’s spy unit chief Pottu Amman’s purview has been paralyzed with the latest exposure by the coordinated intelligence units of the armed forces and police in Colombo.
The series of arrests of hardcore LTTE informants has now revealed that most of the past claymore attacks and LTTE activities had been controlled by one of the senior intelligence leaders of the Tigers Shanmuganathan Ravishankar alias Colonel Charles. The self styled Colonel Charles was killed while he was travelling in a van between Iluppaikkadavai and Pallaimadu on his way to inspect his regular forces in Mannar, early January this year.
The crackdown of the LTTE intelligence network in Colombo began with the arrest of Mallika, who was engaged in what is termed the world’s oldest profession. Her hometown is Hikkaduwa although she had been functioning in Colombo for a long time. On being arrested she had revealed some vital clues to the police, who had later made a series of arrests.
After interrogating Mallika, one ‘Indo Akka’ had been arrested, who is also engaged in the same profession. Indo Akka, who is a Tamil girl from Jaffna had arrived in Colombo from Jaffna six months ago and had rented a house in Grandpass. She had been sent to Colombo by Charles. Indo Akka had been able to coordinate several violent activities in Colombo with the support of Mallika who was having an affair with a Police Assistant attached to the Wattala police. Indo Akka’s main task was to collect information about VIP movements and other developments in Colombo. With the death of Charles Indo Akka faced a dilemma as no one was designated to handle her. Following her arrest, a special police team was able to arrest another mastermind called Nishanthan from Modera two weeks ago. Nishanthan has been sent by Pottu Amman two months ago and had obtained work at a hair dressing salon in Maligawatta with the help of Indo Akka.
Nishanthan’s task was to collect every detail of VIP movements including President Mahinda Rajapaksa and direct suicide cadres to those targets. Working towards that he was able to build up a friendship with a Muslim police officer attached to the Maligawatta police station called Inspector D.M. Ajmir. Inspector Ajmir had been a resident of Kalmunai and had served as a Reserve Sub Inspector before joining the regular Police.
One day, Nishanthan had introduced Pottu Amman to Ajmeer over the phone and offered some money to carry out some tasks. Ajmeer had been promised some Rs.200,000 to Rs.500,000 if he completes any task given by the LTTE.
His first task was to collect information about the movements of Western Province police intelligence director Senior Superintendent of Police Ravi Seneviratne. After gathering information all the details had been handed over to Nishanthan, who planted a powerful claymore mine near the Maligawatta flats facing Baron Jayatilake Mawatha, targetting the vehicle of the SSP travelling on June 8, 2007.
The bomb had been provided by 28-year-old Nadarajah Aravinda alias Vijayan, who blew himself up when his lodging was raided by the Police in Modera on February 29.
Vijayan, who is an expert at making bombs, had been in Colombo since last November to assemble bombs for such attacks. The Tigers had started using this tactic due to the difficulties faced in carrying bombs to Colombo due to tight road checks.
The plan was to activate the claymore targeting SSP Seneviratne using a remote control device, but the bomb did not explode due to some technical problem and the vehicle of the SSP had passed the scene without any problem. Immediately, Ajmeer had visited the place and had informed the police that he had found a claymore mine. Later he entered in the police log that the recovery was made following information given by one of his private informants. He was rewarded with Rs.300,000 for the recovery(Rs.100,000 for him and Rs.200,000 for his informant) by the Police Department. However Ajmeer had given only Rs. 25,000 to Nishanthan. The balance money was paid to a finance company for his leased vehicle.
After failing this first task, Ajmeer was tasked to monitor movements and meetings of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to Ajmeer, who is now under Police custody, the plan was to send a suicide cadre disguised as a policeman to a meeting that the President would attend. But the plan failed and Pottu Amman had stopped giving tasks to Ajmeer after that. However Ajmeer continued to work with Nishanthan and provided information to him until he was arrested by a special police team, who later arrested Nishanthan as well.
Meanwhile the arrest of Muththusami Ilankoowan alias Sami at Pettah, Colombo had sent shockwaves through some top Police officers, politicians and several businessmen in Colombo.
Ilankoowan had reportedly paid millions of rupees to some police officers and politicians, while being one of the main LTTE agents in Colombo. It was revealed that soon after the arrest these politicians and police officers had tried to get Ilankoowan released, but due to the presence of clear evidence on his close links with the LTTE such pressure to get him released had stopped. Some high-ranking police officers had even tried to remove policemen involved in the investigations.During interrogation, Ilankoowan had told the Police that he had visited the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) at least six times to meet Charles Gnanakone, who was arrested for questioning in connection with the assassination of late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.
Ilankoowan had visited the CCD with the support of several senior police officers, it had been revealed.
The arrest of Ilankoowan also led to a series of more arrests not only in Colombo but in Jaffna as well. On Wednesday night, Benedict Julian alias ‘Koti Juli’ – a top LTTE leader had been arrested.
Earlier, two girls including one from Kohuwala who had undergone training to carry out LTTE activities in Colombo were arrested following information revealed by Ilankoowan.
(March 08, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) With the arrest of several top leaders and informants of the Liberation of Tigers Tamil Eelam (LTTE) from Colombo and its suburbs, the Colombo intelligence network of the Tigers has been exposed and curtailed.
Two main intelligence groups directly under the LTTE’s spy unit chief Pottu Amman’s purview has been paralyzed with the latest exposure by the coordinated intelligence units of the armed forces and police in Colombo.
The series of arrests of hardcore LTTE informants has now revealed that most of the past claymore attacks and LTTE activities had been controlled by one of the senior intelligence leaders of the Tigers Shanmuganathan Ravishankar alias Colonel Charles. The self styled Colonel Charles was killed while he was travelling in a van between Iluppaikkadavai and Pallaimadu on his way to inspect his regular forces in Mannar, early January this year.
The crackdown of the LTTE intelligence network in Colombo began with the arrest of Mallika, who was engaged in what is termed the world’s oldest profession. Her hometown is Hikkaduwa although she had been functioning in Colombo for a long time. On being arrested she had revealed some vital clues to the police, who had later made a series of arrests.
After interrogating Mallika, one ‘Indo Akka’ had been arrested, who is also engaged in the same profession. Indo Akka, who is a Tamil girl from Jaffna had arrived in Colombo from Jaffna six months ago and had rented a house in Grandpass. She had been sent to Colombo by Charles. Indo Akka had been able to coordinate several violent activities in Colombo with the support of Mallika who was having an affair with a Police Assistant attached to the Wattala police. Indo Akka’s main task was to collect information about VIP movements and other developments in Colombo. With the death of Charles Indo Akka faced a dilemma as no one was designated to handle her. Following her arrest, a special police team was able to arrest another mastermind called Nishanthan from Modera two weeks ago. Nishanthan has been sent by Pottu Amman two months ago and had obtained work at a hair dressing salon in Maligawatta with the help of Indo Akka.
Nishanthan’s task was to collect every detail of VIP movements including President Mahinda Rajapaksa and direct suicide cadres to those targets. Working towards that he was able to build up a friendship with a Muslim police officer attached to the Maligawatta police station called Inspector D.M. Ajmir. Inspector Ajmir had been a resident of Kalmunai and had served as a Reserve Sub Inspector before joining the regular Police.
One day, Nishanthan had introduced Pottu Amman to Ajmeer over the phone and offered some money to carry out some tasks. Ajmeer had been promised some Rs.200,000 to Rs.500,000 if he completes any task given by the LTTE.
His first task was to collect information about the movements of Western Province police intelligence director Senior Superintendent of Police Ravi Seneviratne. After gathering information all the details had been handed over to Nishanthan, who planted a powerful claymore mine near the Maligawatta flats facing Baron Jayatilake Mawatha, targetting the vehicle of the SSP travelling on June 8, 2007.
The bomb had been provided by 28-year-old Nadarajah Aravinda alias Vijayan, who blew himself up when his lodging was raided by the Police in Modera on February 29.
Vijayan, who is an expert at making bombs, had been in Colombo since last November to assemble bombs for such attacks. The Tigers had started using this tactic due to the difficulties faced in carrying bombs to Colombo due to tight road checks.
The plan was to activate the claymore targeting SSP Seneviratne using a remote control device, but the bomb did not explode due to some technical problem and the vehicle of the SSP had passed the scene without any problem. Immediately, Ajmeer had visited the place and had informed the police that he had found a claymore mine. Later he entered in the police log that the recovery was made following information given by one of his private informants. He was rewarded with Rs.300,000 for the recovery(Rs.100,000 for him and Rs.200,000 for his informant) by the Police Department. However Ajmeer had given only Rs. 25,000 to Nishanthan. The balance money was paid to a finance company for his leased vehicle.
After failing this first task, Ajmeer was tasked to monitor movements and meetings of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to Ajmeer, who is now under Police custody, the plan was to send a suicide cadre disguised as a policeman to a meeting that the President would attend. But the plan failed and Pottu Amman had stopped giving tasks to Ajmeer after that. However Ajmeer continued to work with Nishanthan and provided information to him until he was arrested by a special police team, who later arrested Nishanthan as well.
Meanwhile the arrest of Muththusami Ilankoowan alias Sami at Pettah, Colombo had sent shockwaves through some top Police officers, politicians and several businessmen in Colombo.
Ilankoowan had reportedly paid millions of rupees to some police officers and politicians, while being one of the main LTTE agents in Colombo. It was revealed that soon after the arrest these politicians and police officers had tried to get Ilankoowan released, but due to the presence of clear evidence on his close links with the LTTE such pressure to get him released had stopped. Some high-ranking police officers had even tried to remove policemen involved in the investigations.During interrogation, Ilankoowan had told the Police that he had visited the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) at least six times to meet Charles Gnanakone, who was arrested for questioning in connection with the assassination of late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.
Ilankoowan had visited the CCD with the support of several senior police officers, it had been revealed.
The arrest of Ilankoowan also led to a series of more arrests not only in Colombo but in Jaffna as well. On Wednesday night, Benedict Julian alias ‘Koti Juli’ – a top LTTE leader had been arrested.
Earlier, two girls including one from Kohuwala who had undergone training to carry out LTTE activities in Colombo were arrested following information revealed by Ilankoowan.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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