New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found that Pakistan-based organisations have been utilising the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) sympathisers to create turmoil in India. In an interrogation, Sri Lankan national Satkunam alias Sabesan, an arms and drugs peddler, disclosed to the agency that arms and drugs were meant to be utilised for the revival of LTTE and also to create turmoil across India.
Former member of the intelligence wing of LTTE, Sabesan was recently arrested from his residence at Valsaravakkam in Tamil Nadu for his involvement in arms and drug trafficking from Pakistan to Sri Lanka. "During his interrogation, Sabesan confessed that Pakistan based organisations have been helping to get arms and drugs," said an official on condition of anonymity. "Sabesan's interrogation also gave us clues related to the close nexus between narcotics trafficking and terrorist organisations," the official added.
Commenting on the development, Brigadier (retd) BK Khanna said that drugs and contrabands are the ultimate option for Pakistan based terrorist organisation to keep their nefarious activities alive in India. "The recent developments where LTTE sympathisers are being used by the Pakistan based anti-India organisations is really a matter of concern," said Brigadier Khanna. He also lauded the NIA for unearthing the facts. "In fact, it's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan which has been playing as the master planner in executing this job. The drugs proceeds are used by the Pakistan government and non-state actors to destabilise India," said Khana.
In the recent past, India's border guarding agencies have recovered drugs and contraband from different locations along the India-Pakistan border. The official said that NIA is further investigating the matter.
Earlier this year, the coast guard had seized five AK 47 rifles, thousands of rounds of 9 mm ammunition with 300kg of heroin off Minicoy coast following the interception of a fishing vessel Ravihansi. It was found that Pakistan based drug trafficking network is involved in supplying drugs to several organizations including LTTE members.
Indian security forces have seized 40 kilogrammes of heroin from Dera Baba Nanak sector of Gurdaspur along the India-Pakistan border in August whereas in September security forces seized around 8.5 kilogrammes of heroin from Fazilka district. Similar recoveries were reported from Jammu and Kashmir as well.
Also read: Vizhinjam Arms case: NIA arrests former LTTE intelligence wing member in Chennai
