ED seizes assets of Lankan nationals with alleged LTTE links over money laundering charges

In a case of alleged money laundering, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 1 attached three immovable properties owned by Sri Lankan nationals living in India. The accused purchased all the properties after 2011 and were unable to explain the source of funds used to buy the properties. It was later revealed that the market value of the property was much higher than what was mentioned in the documents. 

Moreover, certain individuals involved in the case were found to be allegedly connected with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and one accused Gunasekaran and Perama Kumar were charged with attacking former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga, while certain accused persons were allegedly found involved in drug trading and other illegal activities in Sri Lanka.

The ED attached three immovable properties - one Bungalow on ECR and two Agricultural Lands in Thiruvannamalai District in Tamil Nadu, owned by Sri Lankan nationals Gunasekaran and Perama Kumar, son Dileep and Thileep, amounting to Rs 33.7 lakh. ED has alleged all have committed offences under the Foreigners Act, Passports Act, NDPS Act, and Indian Penal Code accused of using fake identity cards of PAN, Aadhaar, Driving licenses over a period and living in India. 

The accused Gunasekaran, Perama Kumar, A Suresh Raj and Mohamed Sherif and Raja Medura Gedara, Gamini were involved in buying and selling of drugs and were covered under the NDPS Act. They were convicted in 2011 for the same crime by the Special Court under the NDPS Act. Subsequent to their jail term all of them stayed in India using fake identities and generated proceeds of crime.