KATHMANDU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which initiated a probe against the seizure of five AK-47 rifles, 1,000 live bullets and `3,000-crore worth of heroin’ from a Sri Lankan boat off the Kerala coast on March 25 intercepted by Indian coast guard authorities, has found that a Pakistani national was the main handler of the smugglers.
Likewise, two Chennai residents allegedly have links with members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) — a former Tamil militant organization based in northeastern Sri Lank.
The NIA raided a house at Kidangoor near Angamaly in Eranakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala on Saturday. One of the accused Suresh Raj had stayed on rent at the house when he was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Q branch in July this year. The NIA also conducted similar raids in six other places in Chennai and Thiruvallur districts of Tamil Nadu where Suresh and eighth accused Soundarajan had stayed.
The NIA got the details of the Pakistani national and links to LTTE while questioning Suresh Raj, aka Chinna Suresh, 39, and Soundarajan, aka Soundar, 21, in the past 13 days. Tamil Nadu Q Branch had first arrested them. Later, following the NIA court’s directive, they were taken to Kochi, Kerela, India, and their arrests recorded in the NIA case.
“Both have revealed their incriminating role and their associations with foreign handlers, including a suspect in Pakistan. The Pakistan national had supplied a large quantity of heroin, arms and ammunition. The NIA has identified the person and the operation of the gang that smuggles drugs and arms on fishing vessels. They also have given information about their mode of communication, which is mostly social media platforms. The accused used multiple mobile phones, SIM cards and social media accounts for secret communication with their associates abroad,” a source said.
The NIA found that the conspiracy to smuggle drugs and weapons from Pakistan using fishing vessels started in the second half of 2020. Both also have links with members of the proscribed LTTE.
“Suresh is a Sri Lankan national who had been staying illegally in India for the past several years without any visa or passport. He managed to obtain a PAN card, Aadhaar card, driving license, voter ID card and passport of India using forged documents. He was arrested by the Q Branch from Angamaly last month,” the source said.
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