Suspected LTTE fugitive gangster detained in Singapore

Fugitive gangster Kumar Pillai, who is wanted in Mumbai for several cases of murder and extortion, was detained by the Singapore authorities on Thursday. A senior Crime Branch official said Pillai of the infamous Kumar Pillai gang was taken into custody after a Red Corner Notice was issued by Interpol.

“We are in the process of verifying the identity of the person. Once we get confirmation, we will proceed and provide all details of the cases, which is a procedural aspect for extradition,” said an officer who did not wish to be named. According to another source, Pillai is believed to have been living under a false identity and was arrested at the airport.

Pillai’s stronghold used to be Vikhroli, where he mostly operated in the construction industry. A senior police officer recalled Pillai’s close association with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). “Pillai had very close ties (with LTTE). In fact, there was this one case where he threw bombs at police officers for the LTTE.

He is wanted in several cases and still has a few of his gang members in the city,” said the senior officer. Given Pillai’s alleged proximity to LTTE, the officer said, investigators always suspected Pillai to be holed up in the UK, Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka or Singapore, which have a sizeable Tamil population. (ENS)