Sri Lankan authorities have stated that, they have arrested the new chief of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s (LTTE), Selvarajah Pathmanathan, who has been on the most wanted list of the authorities, since Sri Lankan forces dismantled the terrorist organization in May this year. Selvarajah has been known to be the point man in LTTE’s arms and smuggling activities, through which it had been raising funds to conduct terror activities across Sri Lanka.

Since the death of LTTE chief Vellupillai Prabhakaran during the Sri Lankan military offensive this year, Selvarajah Pathmanathan has been the face of the LTTE and has been considered to be the highest ranking member of the militant organization after Prabhakaran. However, Sri Lankan authorities have declined to comment as to where Pathmanathan was arrested, but some sources have stated that, he was picked up in Thailand.

According to Keheliya Rambukwella (Defense Spokesman, Sri Lanka),

“We are quite capable of demolishing LTTE activities anywhere in the world. We have the capacity and assistance.”

However, there has been absolute confusion as to the place of Pathmanathan’s arrest. According to LTTE sources, Selvarajah Pathmanathan was picked up by Malaysian intelligence officers, which Malaysia has strongly denied. A Sri Lankan officer said,

“It is a sensitive issue and the government wants to respect the wishes of all parties involved.”

Selvarajah Pathmanathan was the backbone of LTTE’s procurement of funds for its activities. According to intelligence officials, Pathmanathan, also known as ‘KP’ in his heydays had a fleet of freighters under his command, that he used for smuggling operations and arms dealing across, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Ukraine. Under his reign as the second in command of LTTE, the militant organization was raising $200-$300 million per year, with the help of smuggling, extortion and arms dealing.

Via Reuters.