Sept. 12 (Bloomberg) -- India asked Thailand to extradite a leader of Sri Lanka's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, saying he may provide information on the 1991 assassination of former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
India made the request to Thai authorities yesterday after learning of the arrest of Kumaran Padmanadan, the alleged head of the LTTE's global funding network, India's state-run broadcaster Doordarshan reported. The suspect may have organized the financing of the attack on Gandhi, it cited unidentified Indian security officials as saying.
Padmanadan was arrested in Bangkok on Sept. 10, Sri Lanka's Defense Ministry said yesterday. The LTTE's procurement units are estimated to raise between $200 million and $300 million a year through illegal activities and funds from Tamils living in countries such as the U.K. and Canada, it said on its Web site.
The Tamil Tigers, who are fighting for a separate homeland in the South Asian island nation, lost control of the eastern region to the army in July after 14 years of fighting. Sri Lanka is also targeting the LTTE's naval unit, destroying three vessels yesterday bringing weapons to the country, the military said.
India asked 23 countries, including Thailand, for information on Padmanadan, who is alleged to have lived in Thailand and Cambodia while organizing arms smuggling operations, Doordarshan reported on its Web site.
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