By Walter Jayawardhana

Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar alias A.C.Shanthan (51), the man described as the leader of London’s Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and a close associate of the late Velupillai Prabhakaran was jailed for two years by a judge of the Old Bailey on Friday..

The man who bought equipment which Tamil Tigers could have used to make a bomb has been jailed for two years, June 12.

Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar – aka AC Shanthan – purchased electronic and computer equipment for members of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE), a banned terrorist organisation.

He was found guilty of conspiracy to receive property intending that it be used or having reasonable cause to suspect it may be used for the purposes of terrorism by a jury at Kingston Crown Court on 17 April 2009.

The 52-year-old was also found guilty of a further charge of receiving property intending that it be used or having reasonable cause to suspect that it may be used for the purposes of terrorism.

A judge at the Old Bailey jailed him for two years for the conspiracy count and one year for receiving property; the sentences will run concurrently.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner John McDowall, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and Senior National Coordinator Counter Terrorism, said:

“Shanthan bought component parts which have been used in the past by the LTTE to make improvised explosive devices.

“He purchased electrical equipment including circuit boards, GPS and antenna equipment and sent it to Sri Lanka for terrorists to use.

“He spent more than ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚£13,000 in just 14 months on military publications, manuals and guides to be used as reference for military attack planning, yet denied he was involved in any terrorist activity.

“This has been a complex investigation, which has involved a large volume of evidence gathered both in this country and abroad.”

Shanthan, of Upwood Rd, Norbury, London, was arrested by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command on 21 June 2007. He was arrested again on 6 May 2008. Searches of his property revealed receipts for items including Toughnote laptop computers, head torches, printed circuit boards and equipment. Lithium coin cell batteries, transceivers, radio equipment, navigation systems and high power magnets intended for Tamil guerrillas in Sri Lanka.

Membership of the LTTE in the UK, including taking part in activities supporting the group, fundraising and procuring equipment for it, was made illegal in 2001.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ARUNACHALAM CHRISHANTHAKUMAR was found guilty of:

COUNT 1:

CONSPIRACY TO RECEIVE PROPERTY INTENDING THAT IT BE USED OR HAVING REASONABLE CAUSE TO SUSPECT THAT IT MAY BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF TERRORISM contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE:

Between the 1st day of January 2003 and 31st day of December 2006, ARUNACHALAM CHRISHANTHAKUMAR and a person or persons unknown conspired together to receive electronic components and equipment and computers intending that they be used or having reasonable cause to suspect that they may be used for the purposes of terorrism.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ COUNT 3:

RECEIVING PROPERTY INTENDING THAT IT BE USED OR HAVING REASONABLE CAUSE TO SUSPECT THAT IT MAY BE USED FOR THE PURPOSES OF TERRORISM contrary to Section 15(2) and Section 22 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE:

ARUNACHALAM CHRISHANTHAKUMAR between the 1st day of November 2004 and the 31st day of January 2006 received property, namely a quantity of literature and manuals with titles including Underwater Warfare Systems, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Infantry Weapons, Naval Weapon Systems and Mines and Mine Clearance, intending that they be used or having reasonable cause to suspect that they may be used for the purposes of terrorism.