India says SL drug kingpin Guna sent funds to narco trafficker in Karachi

BYS VENKAT NARAYAN OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

- Following probe into LTTE revival conspiracy

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing into a conspiracy to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), has found that Sri Lankan drug kingpin C Gunashekaran, alias Guna, had transferred illegal drug funds to the associates of Karachi (Pakistan)-based notorious arms and drugs trafficker Haji Salim, people familiar with the matter said.

NIA made the submissions before a court on 17 October.

The Hindustan Times reported that the NIA has discovered documentary and digital evidence to prove there was a larger conspiracy to revive the proscribed outfit, both in India and Sri Lanka, it was mentioned.

The evidence includes crypto transactions, mobile data, and financial records linking Guna to cross-border drug trafficking, hawala networks, and LTTE's operations.

NIA made the submissions before a court on 17 October while opposing a discharge plea filed by Guna, who was arrested, along with nine other Sri Lankan nationals, in Tamil Nadu, in December, 2022, in connection with the LTTE revival conspiracy case.

On 15 March, 2022, Guna and Pushparajah, alias Pookutti Kanna, another drug mafia from Sri Lanka, organised a meeting at a special detention camp in Trichy with other accused.