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LTTE assets worth Rs. 1.2 billion seized
Land near airport, apartments, printing presses, bank accounts taken over
More than one billion rupees worth of assets belonging to the militarily defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), were confiscated this week after they were brought to light during investigations by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID).
A senior TID official said these assets included land, apartments, printing presses, houses, machinery, garment factories and fishing trawlers – all valued at more than over Rs. 1.2 billion. They will be sold by public auction and the proceeds transferred to the Treasury.
This was in keeping with provision of laws related to financing of terrorism and money laundering, he said. Most of the properties, according to the official, are located in Colombo whilst a few are in the outstations. One foreign bank account with more than Rs. 55 million and local bank accounts with more than Rs. 30 million in funds were also confiscated this week.
The official said that they were monitoring many other fixed deposit accounts, the holders of which could not be traced and were believed to be linked to the LTTE. “We have identified other bank accounts and properties valued at more than one billion rupees which will also be confiscated soon,” the official said.
The TID is working with foreign intelligence agencies to track down more accounts, in which the LTTE had kept funds. Sophisticated communication equipment imported via non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were also confiscated, he said.
The main properties confiscated include a land close to the Bandaranaike International Airport. The LTTE is said to have acquired this land to launch an attack on the airport. A three-storeyed building in Wellawatta which was bought in the name of an NGO and a printing press in Jampettah Street, Kotahena were among the other assets seized. The Neelanathan press in Jaffna was also confiscated.
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