News
LTTE revival connection under investigation over recent Indian drug haul
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
EW DELHI, October 15: A Pakistan-based drug lord has come under the scanner for allegedly trying to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka. The funding for it appears to be through the supply and sale of large quantities of heroin in India.The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) recently seized 200kg of heroin worth INR 12 billion off the Kerala coast, allegedly linked to a Pakistan-based drug cartel owned by Haji Salim, Indian officials said.
Salim’s name first surfaced during investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July this year, when the agency said that Salim, along with Sri Lankan drug mafia don C Gunashekharan alias Guna and Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna, were pushing illegal drugs and arms into India using the sea route for reviving the LTTE.The agency is also investigating the seizure of arms and the arrest of two youths by the Tamil Nadu police. The accused were inspired by the LTTE, and wanted to wage an armed struggle in Tamil Nadu too, according to the police.
After taking over the probe from the Tamil Nadu police, the NIA claimed to have seized from the arrested youths photographs of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, invoices for the purchase of materials used for manufacturing of illegal firearms, ammunition and explosive substances, seeds for making poison and jungle survival kits.
After the seizure of heroin, the NCB found links to Salim’s drug cartel. “The seized packets had markings and packing specialities unique to Afghan- and Pakistan-based drug cartels. While some of the drug packets had ‘Scorpiaon’ seal markings, the others had ‘dragon’ seal markings. They had water-proof, seven-layered packing.
The drugs were partially meant for Sri Lanka and India, and were being smuggled using an Iranian boat and crew. Six Iranians were arrested and booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, according to the NCB.
According to NCB sources, the drugs were sourced from Afghanistan and transported to Pakistan. They said: “The consignment was then loaded on to the seized vessel off the Pakistan coast in a mid-sea exchange. The vessel then set sail to Indian waters for delivery to another Sri Lankan vessel, but the Sri Lankan vessel could not be tracked.”
“The southern route for trafficking of heroin from Afghanistan to the Markan coast of Iran and Pakistan, and then to various countries in the Indian Ocean, including India, has gained prominence over the last few years,” the NCB said.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Urban Development to award the contract for printing and supplying vehicle number plates for the Department of Motor Traffic for a period of five (5) years to M/s South Asian Technologies based on the recommendations of the High-Level Standing Procurement Committee and the Procurement Appeal Board.
The National Lotteries board has been established subject to the Finance Act No. 11 of 1963. Having identified the requirement of amending that act which was imposed around 62 years to cater the current requirements of the lottery market, the Cabinet of Mnisters at their meeting held on 14.02.2017 granted approval to draft a new bill for the purpose.
Accordingly, the National Lotteries Board has recognized further amendments to be performed to the fundamental draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsmen.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the
resolution furnished by the President in his office as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to direct the Legal Draftsmen to finalize the formulation of the draft bill for the National Lotteries Board as soon as possible including the proposed new amendments as well.
The Werahara office of the Department of Motor Traffic performs issuance of temporary driving licenses in this country based on the driving licenses issued overseas, and measures have been initiated to render the service from a service window of the Department of Motor Traffic established at the Bandaranayake International Airport from 03.08.2025.
The fees charged for issuing temporary driving licenses have been published in Motor Vehicles (Driving License Levy) Regulations No. 3 of 2022 prepared under the provisions of the Motor Traffic (Authority 203) Act.
But, as the fee of Rupees 2,000/- charged for the service is not sufficient, the requirement of amending the regulations has been recognized.
The regulations for introducing the revised fees have been published in the government extraordinary gazette
notification No. 2463/04 dated 17.11.2025. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development to
submit the regulations to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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