The Swiss authorities have arrested ten suspected members of the terrorist organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for alleged extortion and money laundering to support terrorist financing.
According to a statement from the Swiss Attorney General’s office, the Tamils forced Sri Lankan foreign nationals living in Switzerland to provide financial support for the LTTE, which if proven would also likely lead to charges of terrorist financing.
Sri Lankan foreign nationals who refused to provide terrorist financing were allegedly threatened with reprisals. Over the course of several years, several million Swiss francs were raised through this type of extortion and transferred to Sri Lanka to finance the activities of the LTTE, in particular to purchase weapons.