The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld an order extraditing Suresh Sriskandarajah, also known as “Waterloo Suresh”, to the U.S. to face allegations of terrorist financing and money laundering. Sriskandarajah is a Sri Lankan former refugee who immigrated to Canada twenty years ago.
He was arrested in 2006 as a result of a joint FBI – RCMP investigation and charged in the U.S. with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelan (LTTE), and wilfully dealing in LTTE property.
The LTTE is a designated terrorist organization in Canada and in the U.S. Organizations that are listed entities cannot legally raise money or procure operational equipment or other materials in the U.S. or Canada. Individuals involved in these activities or who provide certain services and support to terrorist organizations are subject to federal prosecution under the Criminal Code.
With other co-defendants, Sriskandarajah is alleged to have helped LTTE officials buy communications towers, purchased submarine and warship equipment, smuggled computer, GPS equipment and other items to LTTE-controlled areas in Sri Lanka, and conspired to buy almost US$1 million worth of missiles and assault rifles in New York. He is also alleged to have used U.S. banks to launder money for LTTE terrorist activities.