LTTE still running illegal operations overseas, Sri Lankan minister says

Sri Lanka's vanquished Tamil Tiger terrorist group still owns some ships and are using them in running illegal operations overseas, a senior Sri Lankan minister said Thursday.

The Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena told the parliament today that the LTTE still has at least eight vessels and these ships are now being used for illegal activities, including human trafficking.

The Minister revealed that these ships that escaped the government offensive are berthed in a port of a South East Asian country and reportedly some of them are beyond repairs.

Although the government eliminated the whole senior leadership of LTTE and defeated the terrorist group in May 2009, its overseas network remains active, Minister Gunawardena said in the parliament.

He said this in response to a question raised by the opposition on LTTE's overseas assets asking what the government is doing to recover them.

The Minister told the parliament that intelligence authorities are taking necessary measures to recover the remaining ships.