TN ‘Q’ branch conducts probe after Lankan arrested with expired visa

CHENNAI: The 'Q' branch of the Tamil Nadu police has commenced investigation after the arrest of a Sri Lankan national at Rameswaram who was trying to flee to his homeland by bribing a Tamil fisherman.

Police arrested Keerthanan (28), a Sri Lankan national who was trying to get back to his homeland on Wednesday late night from Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram. He had allegedly paid Rs 10,000 to Muthukumaran, a fisherman from Rameswaram who had promised to ferry him.

The 'Q' branch police have commenced probe as to whether other Sri Lankans were trying to flee back and whether they were getting local support. Notably, Keerthanan had tried to go to London on a fake passport but could not and the 'Q' branch is probing whether other Sri Lankans were using the shores of Tamil Nadu to escape to European countries.

There were intelligence reports on the presence of certain Tamil groups owing allegiance to the now-defunct LTTE trying to smuggle in drugs into the country and fund the movement. This included a former intelligence operative of LTTE, Sakunam alias Sabesan who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in October 2021 for allegedly smuggling drugs and arms from Pakistan into Sri Lanka and had used Indian shores for that.

The 'Q' branch is probing whether Keerthanan's probable escapade had any other organised external connections and whether others are involved in him trying to escape to the island nation.

The main question being looked into by the agencies is why is a person going back to Sri Lanka when the island nation is facing a recession and dire economic situation and several people are coming into India. It is to be recalled that around 80 Sri Lankan nationals have reached Indian shores.

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