The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has commenced a probe into two cases involving the attempted trafficking of Sri Lankan nationals from Kollam, suspecting connections to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the NIA to take over the investigation last month, focusing on cases registered at Kollam East and Pallithottam police stations. The Pallithottam case involves 13 accused individuals, while the Kollam East case has 11. These incidents revolve around the interception by police of two groups of Sri Lankan nationals at Vadi Harbour and Ambadi Lodge, Beach Road, Kollam, on September 5 and 6, 2022.
The arrested individuals, including two children, intended to sail to Canada and had contacted various fishing vessel operators. They had arrived in Kollam from refugee camps in places like Nagapattinam, Vellore, Chennai, Thiruvanveli, Trichy, and Dindigul. Some had come from Sri Lanka and temporarily resided in Tamil Nadu before relocating to Kollam, facilitated by payments to agents. Although the Kerala High Court granted them bail, with some continuing to stay in rehabilitation centers in Kerala and others returning to refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, the NIA decided to take over the investigation due to suspicions of LTTE involvement.
In recent months, the NIA has proactively investigated multiple incidents of human trafficking in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, suspecting coordination by individuals associated with the LTTE. Several individuals with close ties to former LTTE members have been arrested in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, reinforcing concerns about the organization’s involvement in these trafficking attempts.
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