Chennai, Feb 25 (UNI) Sixteen years after India paid a heavy price for its 'soft' attitude towards the LTTE when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was felled by a human bomb, there are worrying signs that Tamil Nadu may once again become a hotbed of Tamil Tiger activity.
As hostilities between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan security forces escalate, there is an apparent spurt in smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives from Tamil Nadu for the LTTE.
A series of seizures since last November when police'accidentally' stumbled upon at Manamadurai a Tata Sumo Van loaded with 1,500 kg of Gelex boosters used in landmines, there is considerable concern among intelligence officials and security agencies that the porous Indian coastline is once again being exploited by the LTTE.
To instil confidence in the the people, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi declared he would never allow Tamil Nadu to become a haven for LTTE and ordered a crackdown on all outfits and political parties with suspected links to the banned outfit.
After Gelex boosters came the seizure of iron ball bearings, apparently meant for use as shrapnel in IEDs, in Chennai. Later, a boat containing nearly three tonnes of metal bars, rings and firing pins was found by the Indian Navy this month off the Rameswaram coast and yet another by Coast Guard that contained 126 gunny bags filled with metal bars in the first island close to Adams Bridge.
The big catch of an explosives-laden LTTE suicide boat which was subsequently destroyed by the State authorities had only increased the concern of the security establishment.
The authorities seized an AK-56 rifle, grenades, chemicals and a suicide jacket packed with explosives from the boat belonging to LTTE's naval arm ''Sea Tigers.'' They discovered the sides of the boat were lined with huge quantities of TNT and RDX, strong enough to trigger giant explosions and blow up a harbour or warships.
All this has once again thrown up the new familiar question -- is the fragile Tamil Nadu coastline once again becoming vulnerable to clandestine activities of the LTTE? MORE UNI
As hostilities between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan security forces escalate, there is an apparent spurt in smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives from Tamil Nadu for the LTTE.
A series of seizures since last November when police'accidentally' stumbled upon at Manamadurai a Tata Sumo Van loaded with 1,500 kg of Gelex boosters used in landmines, there is considerable concern among intelligence officials and security agencies that the porous Indian coastline is once again being exploited by the LTTE.
To instil confidence in the the people, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi declared he would never allow Tamil Nadu to become a haven for LTTE and ordered a crackdown on all outfits and political parties with suspected links to the banned outfit.
After Gelex boosters came the seizure of iron ball bearings, apparently meant for use as shrapnel in IEDs, in Chennai. Later, a boat containing nearly three tonnes of metal bars, rings and firing pins was found by the Indian Navy this month off the Rameswaram coast and yet another by Coast Guard that contained 126 gunny bags filled with metal bars in the first island close to Adams Bridge.
The big catch of an explosives-laden LTTE suicide boat which was subsequently destroyed by the State authorities had only increased the concern of the security establishment.
The authorities seized an AK-56 rifle, grenades, chemicals and a suicide jacket packed with explosives from the boat belonging to LTTE's naval arm ''Sea Tigers.'' They discovered the sides of the boat were lined with huge quantities of TNT and RDX, strong enough to trigger giant explosions and blow up a harbour or warships.
All this has once again thrown up the new familiar question -- is the fragile Tamil Nadu coastline once again becoming vulnerable to clandestine activities of the LTTE? MORE UNI
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