Date:01/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/01/stories/2008080154910800.htm

Tamil Nadu

“Arrested Lankan a close aide of senior LTTE leader”

C. Jaishankar

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Special Branch police here, which busted a network of procurement team of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has revealed that Vijayaneethan alias Naveen (26), one of the four Sri Lankans arrested on Tuesday at Uppur, is a close confidant of LTTE’s Sea Tigers wing chief Colonel Soosai.

Soosai, otherwise known as Thillaiyambalam Sivanesan, is a senior leader in the LTTE.

Interrogation revealed that Naveen was the son of Soosai’s brother Sivasekaran and belonged to the Sea Tigers. He was an expert in seaborne attack against enemy targets because of the extensive training he received from Soosai.

Naveen joined the LTTE at the age of 13 and was active in the organisation for more than 10 years, till he left the island in 2006. He was living with his wife and two children at a refugee camp in Tiruvadavur in Madurai district. He stayed a few weeks in the Mandapam camp before being shifted to Tiruvadavur.

When he was caught by the police team, he was trying to mesmerize the police personnel by narrating the struggle of LTTE. When asked whether he had links with another LTTE procurement leader J. Thambi Annan alias Daniel of Kilinochi, who was arrested by the ‘Q’ Branch police, the police officer said though there was no information about any link so far, Naveen had to be thoroughly interrogated.However, he had good contacts with several refugees living in camp at Kottapattu in Tiruchi and at other camps across Tiruchi district. Prior to this case, there was no case against him in Tamil Nadu, the officer added.