SINGAPORE MAN CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY TO PROVIDE US WEAPONS TO TAMIL TIGERS

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, Oct 19 (Bernama) – A United States court Tuesday convicted a
Singaporean man of conspiring to purchase weapons for the Tamil Tigers, a
separatist group in Sri Lanka.

The federal jury in Baltimore convicted Balraj Naidu, 48, of attempting to buy
grenade launchers, sniper rifles, machine guns and other state-of-the art
firearms for the Tamil Tigers, according to the Maryland’s US Attorney’s Office
in a media release.

The U.S. Department of State designated the Tamil Tigers as a Foreign Terrorist
Organisation in 1997.

As such, the Tamil Tigers cannot legally raise money or procure operational
equipment in the United States.

According to evidence presented at his trial, Naidu and his co-conspirators
attempted to purchase state-of-the-art weaponry from China, Thailand, North
Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia for the Tamil Tigers, to be used to fight
against Sri Lankan government forces.

But several arms merchants refused to supply him and his associates the weapons
after knowing that they were for the Tamil Tigers.

In April 2006, Naidu was unwittingly introduced to an agent for an
undercover business in Maryland purportedly to sell military weapons.

In the subsequent months, evidence showed Naidu attempted to acquire
American-made weaponry, and wanted it to be delivered to locations in
international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka.

The weaponry was to be off-loaded by the Sea Tigers, the naval branch of the
Tamil Tigers.

A co-conspirator, Singaporean Haniffa Bin Osman, visited Baltimore in 2006,
where he examined and test-fired much of the weaponry.

As a result of the trip, Tamil Tiger representatives wire transferred US$250,000
into the undercover business’ accounts as down payment on a US$900,000 weapons
deal.

Approximately 28 tonnes of weapons and ammunition, which the conspirators
believed they were purchasing, was air-lifted to the U.S. territory of Guam.

On Sept 29, 2006, after inspecting the weapons and transferring an
additional $450,000 into the undercover business’ accounts, Naidu’s
co-conspirators were arrested and indicted.

Haniffa, 59, Indonesian Haji Subandi, 73, retired Indonesian Marine Corps
General Erick Wotulo and Sri Lankan Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, 40, were
sentenced to between 30 months to 57 months in prison after they pleaded guilty
to participating in the conspiracy.

The investigation continued and led to the indictment of Naidu and an alleged
Tamil Tigers financier on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to
the Tamil Tigers and related offences.

Naidu faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for conspiracy to provide
material support to a foreign terrorist organisation.

Naidu is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec 16.
-– BERNAMA