to be about 800,000 Tamil refugees and exteariptas worldwide contributing towards the funding the LTTE.Some support the LTTE by choice and others because of extortion.LTTE supporters have been caught setting up organizations, disguised as charities and relief funds, whose sole purpose is to raise money for the LTTE. There is said to be over 200 front organizations supporting the LTTE globally. In May 2007, two Tamils with connections to the LTTE were arrested in Australia for raising thousands of dollars in Australia under the pretense of being for charities and aid for those affected by the 2004 Asian Tsunami, which killed 35,000 people in Sri Lanka, but instead using the money to fund the LTTE Criminal activities include, sea piracy, human smuggling, drug trafficking and gunrunning.Sea piracyThe LTTE is known for hijacking and looting shipments and vessels and killing the crew on board.Human smugglingThe LTTE started smuggling Tamil people to Western countries, such as Canada in order to gain funds. The LTTE has been said to charge between $10000 to $40000 USD for a Tamil person to be smuggled to Canada illegally, while the usual cost of smuggling is said to be between $20000 to $25000 USD, In addition to this people leaving Sri Lanka have to pay an additional few hundred dollars for an exit visa issued by the LTTE. Those |
