TAMIL TIGERS ARE ALSO DEVELOPING A MINI SUBMARINE FOR GUN RUNNING, DRUG SMUGGLING AND PIRACY

By Walter Jayawardhana

cocaine submarine (AFP)

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is fast developing a mini submarine for gun running and drug smuggling Sri Lankan and Indian intelligence services believe.

The evidence of crude submarines they are developing has already been found in recent finds in Thailand and other places , the reports indicate.

Some Indian naval authorities think they are developing a submersible craft to smuggle drugs and warlike materials unnoticed between the narrow straits between India and Sri Lanka and attack merchant vessels in the Indian ocean for purposes of piracy .

According to the information, it is the marine wing of the LTTE, called the Sea Tigers who are trying to develop a home made submarine for extending their activities of smugggling and piracy.

Indian news agencies have publishing stories that the terrorist group who are already possessing some propeller airplanes could soon be adding up submersible vehicles to their terrorist activities.
India’s zee.news website quoting an Indian naval officer reported, “ To questions about the possibility of the LTTE acquiring a submarine and how big a threat this would pose to India and its neighbourhood, Rear Admiral Pradeep Chuahan said the threat would be as good or bad as threats posed by any terrorist group operating on land.”

The United States coast guard authorities were tight lipped regarding the incident after a number of Colombians with Rajakumar Rajadurai (52) a Sri Lankan Tamil were caught transporting 2.9 tons of cocaine into the United States originating from Bogota Colombia, the world’s biggest producer of cocaine in a crude home made submarine.

The submarine was used to escape the intense surveillance of airplanes by US drug enforcement authorities. The accused were facing life imprisonment.

The large merchant navy owned by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is thought to be transporting drugs as a main income for the terrorist group.

The cocaine submarine was taken into custody with nearly three tons of cocaine in the early part of December 2006 90 nautical miles southwest of Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica, in international waters.
Earlier than this incident Thai authorities took into custody a crude unfinished submarine that was being built by the LTTE in that country.