Selvarasa Pathmanathan: Difference between revisions
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Pathmanadan was the subject of a worldwide manhunt, which involved Police from cities including [[Johannesburg]], [[Rangoon]], [[Singapore]] and Bangkok. Some of the world's foremost [[intelligence agencies]], including the American [[CIA]] and Britaish [[MI-5]], were on his trail.<ref name='hdu-10/15/03-kpf'/> He was believed to have had bank accounts in [[London]], [[Frankfurt]], [[Denmark]], [[Athens]] and [[Australia]] and has over 200 [[passports]] for his use.<ref name='bp-9/11/07-aib'/> |
Pathmanadan was the subject of a worldwide manhunt, which involved Police from cities including [[Johannesburg]], [[Rangoon]], [[Singapore]] and Bangkok. Some of the world's foremost [[intelligence agencies]], including the American [[CIA]] and Britaish [[MI-5]], were on his trail.<ref name='hdu-10/15/03-kpf'/> He was believed to have had bank accounts in [[London]], [[Frankfurt]], [[Denmark]], [[Athens]] and [[Australia]] and has over 200 [[passports]] for his use.<ref name='bp-9/11/07-aib'/> |
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Known as an elusive, secretive individual, he helped keep a low profile by having direct contact only with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. |
Known as an elusive, secretive individual, he helped keep a low profile by having direct contact only with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.<ref name='hdu-10/15/03-kpf'/> |
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==Arrest== |
==Arrest== |
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Revision as of 08:44, 11 September 2007
Kumaran Pathmanadan (also know as Kumaran Padmanadan, Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam or simply KP; born April 6, 1955[1]) was the chief procurer of arms for the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the Tamil Tigers), a Sri Lankan militant organization. He is also wanted by Indian Police in connection with the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. He was arrested in Thailand on September 11, 2007.
Early life
Little information is available of his early life. He was born Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam on April 6, 1955 in the Kankasanthurai village in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka. He is known to be able to converse in Tamil, English, French and Sinhalese.[1]
Pathmanadan is known to use at least 23 aliases and masks,[2] and has been on the Interpol most wanted list for a number of years for charges including criminal conspiracy and for the violation of the Indian Terrorist Act and the Indian Explosive Act.[1] He has also been implicated in several assassinations of political leaders. He is believed to have obtained citizenship of Thailand.[3]
Rajiv Gandhi assassination
On May 21, 1991, former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was a controvosial figure in Sri Lanka due to his decision four years before to send the IPKF to Sri Lanka, was assassinated by a suicide bomber at a public meeting in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The assassination was carried out by the LTTE suicide bomber Thenmuli Rajaratnam also known as Dhanu, who detonated an RDX explosive laden belt tucked below her dress as she bent down to greet him.
Intelligence agencies believe that Pathmanadan had links with the planning of the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.[2][4][5] The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) They approached 23 countries in 2001 requesting information regarding LTTE members who they believed were linked with th assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Sweden, where Pathmanadan was believed to be hiding, was one of the countries.[4]
The Interpol Headquaters in Lyon, France also issued a red notice against Pathmanadan, which requests member states to arrest the suspect and hold them for extradition. The notice stated, "Tharmalingam (Pathmanadan) is alleged to have been involved in the murder of Rajiv Gandhi on 21 May 1991 in Tamil Nadu, India."[2]
Involvement in LTTE fund raising activities
Kumaran Pathmanadan is one of the top officials of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (the Tamil Tigers), and the chief procurer of arms for the organization. He ran a global network of LTTE offices which were engaged in its weapons procurement, logistics and money laundering operations.[3]
He was initially based in Malaysia, However he was forced to move out after the Malaysian Special Branch cracked down on LTTE activities in the country in 1990, culminating in the seizure of an LTTE ship the same year. Pathmanadan then moved to Thailand, which became a safe haven for the LTTE.[6] There he established himself as the head of banking, procurement and shipping of the Tamil Tigers.
According to a report by Jane's Intelligence Review
"While Cambodia is the hub of the LTTE East Asia Network, Thailand continues to serve as the most important country for trans-shipment of munitions and coordination of logistics... its excellent communications infrastructure, proximity to former war zones in both Cambodia and [Burma] and its western coastline facing the Bay of Bengal and Sri Lanka beyond have made Thailand the ancient interface between the LTTE's war zone."[3]
In Thailand Pathmanadan set up and led the "KP Department", the procurement arm of the LTTE, the oldest international wing of the outfit. He was responsible for equiping the rebels with a modern day arsenel which enabled them to challenge the Sri Lankan Military and to fight a high intensity war. He procured modern hardware, paid for them through secret bank accounts, and shipped them to the rebels using a merchant shipping network operated by the KP Department, known as the "sea pigeons".[4][7] Apart from setting up a number of lucrative businesses in Thailand, Pathmanadan established a state-of-the-art boatyard in the country, which manufactured over a dozen different boats, including mini-submarines and suicide boats.[6]
Pathmanadan's KP Department is complimented by another international wing of the LTTE called the "Aiyanna Group". While the KP Department acts as the procurement arm of the LTTE, the Aiyanna Group looks after fundraising and intelligence operation of the organization. Jane's Intelligence Review estimated in 2007 that the LTTE earns USD 200- 300 million per year through their fund raising activities and numerous illegal businesses.[8]
Intelligence agencies also believe the KP Department and the Aiyanna Group operate in a "mutually supportive manner" with other designated terrorist organizations such as Al Queda to achieve their objectives. The heads of both departments operate under the direct guidance of the LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and intelligence head Pottu Amman, both of whom are on the Interpol most wanted list.[8]
The online newspaper Asian Tribune called Pathmanadan "the king pin of Tiger arms smuggling", going on to state, "He is a noted smuggler of arms and narcotics. Operating with bank accounts opened in London, Frankfurt, Denmark, Athens and Australia... he has had a free run so far."[3]
Intended presence at peace negotiations
Following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE in 2002, the LTTE nominated Pathmanadan as a member of its delegation to the Peace Talk scheduled with the government in 2003. They passed on a request, through Norwegian facilitators of the negotiations, to find out whether the Government had any objections to "Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam" being part of the delegation.[5] The Government rejected the request, mainly due to the fact that he was wanted India for connections to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, and letting him join the delegation would have ruptured relations between the two nations.[2]
The reasons for nominating Pathmanadan to the delegations are unclear,[5] but most likely had to do with the fact that Interpol, CIA and MI-5 were after him. Getting on the list of peace negotiators would mean, with Sri Lanka's approval, Pathmanadan would be off the list of the world's most wanted men.[2]
Fugitive status
Pathmanadan was the subject of a worldwide manhunt, which involved Police from cities including Johannesburg, Rangoon, Singapore and Bangkok. Some of the world's foremost intelligence agencies, including the American CIA and Britaish MI-5, were on his trail.[2] He was believed to have had bank accounts in London, Frankfurt, Denmark, Athens and Australia and has over 200 passports for his use.[3]
Known as an elusive, secretive individual, he helped keep a low profile by having direct contact only with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.[2]
Arrest
Thai Police announced on September 11, 2007 that Pathmanadan was arrested in Bangkok on the evening of the previous day (Monday). His arrest was preceded by the detention in Ranong Province of three other Tamil Tiger operatives the month before, for trying to buy guns and 45,000 rounds of ammunition.[3][8]
Refernces
- ^ a b c Interpol, New Delhi, Shanmugam Kumaran Tharmalingam: Wanted by Interpol
- ^ a b c d e f g The Hindu, The LTTE and the `KP Factor', Iqbal Athas, October 15, 2003
- ^ a b c d e f The Bangkok Post, Top Tamil Tiger arrested in Bangkok, September 11, 2007
- ^ a b c Current Affairs, Sri Lanka, CBI wants ‘KP’ in connection with Rajiv assassination case, April 5, 2001
- ^ a b c Hindustan Times, LTTE trying to rehabilitate its ace arms procurer, PK Balachandran, October 19, 2003
- ^ a b Asia Times, The transformation of terror?, Rohan Gunaratna, September 25, 2002
- ^ Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers, The Arms Fixers: Controlling the Brokers and Shipping Agents, Brian Wood and Johan Peleman
- ^ a b c Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka, LTTE's international terror chief "KP" arrested in Bangkok, September 11, 2007