Tamil Nadu back as Tiger's safe haven?

K. Venkataramanan, TNN

CHENNAI: Battered in the North-eastern war theatre in Sri Lanka, hounded at sea by a resurgent Navy, and having lost several logistic vessels in sea battles, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) seems to be falling back for supplies on its oldest haven - the porous coastline of Tamil Nadu and its vast hinterland.

Dozens of incidents of smuggling and over 100 arrests in the last couple of years stand testimony to the Tigers' network in the state, eventhough there is insufficient evidence to indicate collusion by the State machinery, the Times of India reported yesterday.

The LTTE maintains a wide network of committed sympathisers and mercenary supporters to ensure regular supplies of fuel, medicines and war-related materials to carry on their armed campaign in the island nation.

As many as 108 people have been arrested for suspected smuggling activities since May 2006. Of these, 31 were Sri Lankan Tamils and the rest Indians.

Forty of these suspects were detained under the National Security Act (NSA), but some of them have been released on technical grounds.

There are 49 Sri Lankan Tamils in a special camp for suspected militants and their sympathisers in Chengalpattu. Of these, nine are hard-core LTTE men.

The Sri Lankan Navy feels its recent successes against the LTTE's fleet of arms-running vessels - it has sunk seven in the last two years - has forced the rebel group to source much of its supplies from India.

Col (retd) R Hariharan, who headed military intelligence in the Indian Peace Keeping Force, notes that the LTTE seems to have received some fresh ammunition in recent days. "It is not clear which clandestine route is being used by the LTTE to import munitions.

But the Indian coastal zone continues to be the weakest link in the naval defence of Sri Lanka. We may expect the Sri Lankan Navy to intensify operations in the seas around Kachchativu in the coming weeks." A major haul in the first half of 2006 was the police seizure of a consignment of gelex boosters from a vehicle near Madurai.

It was apparently meant to be shipped to northern Sri Lanka via Rameswaram. Once again, the temple town seemed to become a vital hub for smuggling for the Tigers.

In one instance, the 'Q' branch police arrested eight LTTE operatives while trying to smuggle out a truck-load of ball-bearings. Investigation revealed that the consignment had been bought from an automobile spare parts company in Mumbai. Ball-bearings are used as shrapnel in improvised explosive devices.

In February 2007, the Coast Guard caught two boats carrying a cache of ammunition and explosives and metallic bars packed in gunny bags. Later that month, the Coast Guard intercepted a 'Sea Tiger' boat with five members of the LTTE's sea wing. Their interrogation revealed that the boat had been lined with explosives.

The boat was taken away to mid-sea and blasted as a security measure. There were several other seizures of aluminium ingots, ball bearings, scrap metal, rocket shells, boosters, explosives, detonators and chemicals in the Southern districts.

The war in Sri Lanka is now closer to India's coast than ever before. The main theatre is now Mannar, the North-western district in which a small enclave is in LTTE control. Talaimannar, Sri Lanka's westernmost point is just an hour's speedboat journey away from Rameswaram.

As long as the unending conflict in the neighbouring country rages on, Tamil Nadu, especially its fishermen, will continue to see disquieting days.