Two complaints and an indictment were unsealed today charging six defendants with conspiracy to export arms and munitions, and three of those defendants with the additional crimes of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and money laundering, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
The defendants were arrested in Guam after traveling there to attempt to purchase night vision devices, sniper rifles, submachine guns with suppressors and grenade launchers to be used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) or customers in Indonesia. Four of the defendants were acting at the direction of senior Tamil Tigers leadership in Sri Lanka.
The 3-count indictment returned on Sept. 19, charges Haniffa Bin Osman, 55, a citizen of the Republic of Singapore; Erick Wotulo, 60, and Haji Subandi, 69, both citizens of the Republic of Indonesia, with conspiracy to export arms and munitions, conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and money laundering. A complaint was also filed in the U.S. territory of Guam charging Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, 36, a citizen of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, with being a member of that conspiracy as to the export of arms and munitions.
The indictment and Varatharasa Complaint allege that beginning in April 2006, the defendants conspired to export state-of-the-art firearms, machine guns and ammunition, surface to air missiles, night vision goggles and other items to the Tamil Tigers. The defendants acted as brokers between manufacturers of military technology and the Tamil Tigers, requesting price quotes and negotiating the purchases.
Founded in 1976, the Tamil Tigers has advocated the violent overthrow of the Sri Lankan government, employing acts of violence, including suicide bombings, against both civilian and military targets.
Approximately 200 such attacks have been attributed to the Tamil Tigers to date. The Tamil Tigers relies heavily upon supporters throughout the world to raise and launder money, acquire intelligence and purchase military use technology. The U.S. Department of State designated the Tamil Tigers as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in1997. As such, the Tamil Tigers cannot legally raise money or procure operational equipment in the United States.
According to the indictment, from March 2004 to April 2006 Subandi made numerous requests on behalf of Tamil Tigers representatives for price quotations and technical specifications of military items, including night vision goggles, special forces weaponry and equipment, communication devices, spare parts for helicopters and military aircraft, sonar technology and unmanned aerial vehicles. On May 3, 2006 Subandi sent undercover ICE agents a list of 53 military weapons, including sniper rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers, that he wished to acquire for the Tamil Tigers. A couple days later, Subandi advised undercover agents that the Tamil Tigers requested immediate pricing for numerous military equipment and that a high ranking Tamil Tigers representative requested that Subandi and an undercover agent travel to Malaysia to further discuss the arms purchases and arrange payment. On May 6, Subandi identified Osman and Wotulo as Tamil Tigers representatives who were willing to travel to a U.S. territory to meet with undercover agents. Subandi told undercover agents on May 18 that Tamil Tigers representatives in Malaysia sent Osman to Sri Lanka to report the details of the ongoing negotiations to superiors of the Tamil Tigers. On May 24, Subandi reported that Osman requested delivery of sniper rifles, submac