Tiger financier hoodwinking Tamil diaspora nabbed in Italy

Nabbed for selling outdated food to customers

An LTTE financier in Palermo, Italy who played hide and seek with Italian Secret Police by using ingenious methods to collect money from the Tamil diaspora for the LTTE was hauled up before Court for selling outdated food to his customers.

S. Muthiah alias 'Yohan', the owner of 'Ajerthan' B & V', one of the biggest stores in Sicily, in the city of Palermo, where there is a large concentration of Tamils, is a supporter of the LTTE and a collecting agent to fund the LTTE terror machine.

The information about Muthiah's illegal activities had been provided to the authorities, and efforts to apprehend him did not succeed, as he used ingenious methods to collect money from the Sri Lankan diaspora.

Most members of the Sri Lankan diaspora were compelled to buy things from him, on the direction of the LTTE.

He would add an extra euro or two to the bill, which was known to the person who bought the items, as most Tamils in Palermo had to pay a minimum amount to the LTTE to fund its activities.

As most individuals do not have independent means of sending money abroad and given the vigilance and surveillance of the Italian secret police authorities, the money was collected by Muthiah by inflating the prices by one or two euros. He would send the money to LTTE agents across the globe to fund the Tiger terror machine.

Though the Italian police knew about him, it was difficult to arrest him, as there was no proof of the collection made through these means.

The Italian Food Security Police Department confiscated 23 tonnes of various outdated food products, among which were vegetable preserves, sauces, pasta, frozen fish, 3,000 bottles of mineral water and liquors on information from Tamils.

The premises was also found to be un-hygienic. Muthiah has been reported to the judicial authority.

Muthiah is believed to be having several petrol sheds in London and Norway.

Sri Lankans in Palermo are of the view that with Muthiah's arrest the collections made by him for the LTTE would be severely impeded as the shop has been sealed.