Top LTTE leader in Norway arrested in Oslo

Norwegian-based LTTE leader Perinpanayagam Sivaparan known by his nom de guerre as Nediyavan has been arrested and was produced in an Oslo court yesterday, the Norwegian media reported.

A Dutch judge and five Dutch Defence Attorneys are in Norway to interrogate the LTTE Leader Nediyavan, who is a resident of Norway. The LTTE Leader is to be interrogated over two days, and is pointed out by several people to be a key leader of the LTTE.

Norwegian police and prosecutors are following the issues closely, and I have full confidence that they will take the necessary measures, said Secretary of State Paul Lønseth to TV 2.

In Norway the LTTE can operate freely, but in the USA, Australia and EU, they are considered to be a terrorist organisation and are officially listed as terrorists.

The LTTE has been on EU’s terrorist list since 2006, and financial support to the organisation is considered a criminal offence in the Netherlands.

The Police Security Service (PST) did not want to make a comment on the secret case, but confirmed to TV 2 that they assisted Dutch police with the interrogation in the District Court.

The Dutch came to Norway because of an investigation of a terrorist financing case, where seven Tamil Tiger cadres were arrested last year.

In April last year, Dutch police went to 16 different addresses and made comprehensive apprehensions after the national security police (AIVD) had been investigating possible funding of the LTTE from the Netherlands for some time.

LTTE’s 52-year old “chief accountant” and the alleged leader of the LTTE in Netherlands (46) were among the arrested.

According to Dutch court documents, the LTTE in the Netherlands has an “iron-grip” on the Tamil minority in the country.

Those who do not support the LTTE with money are threatened with retaliations, it says in the Dutch court documents, according to NRC Handelsblad.