Technical Training to Technology in Terrorism: How Vanni Tech transformed to meet LTTE’s terror technical requirements: Reminder to recent Pager Blast
This Newsletter is about how different donor avatars reached Sri Lankan Government when Governance is favourable for the separatist terrorist’s agenda! It all started with the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement brokered by Norwegians between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE as the only separatist terrorist outfit that was fighting against the Government. Although preparation for making favourable environment within the UNP led Government may have worked before the 2002 ceasefire episode, as this political party have a profile of entertaining and receiving funding from the Tamil Diaspora, the actual establishment happened after the agreement signed on 22nd Feb 2002.
The Vanni Tech; and institution to train and groom Tamil youth in technology was established in Kilinochchi and appear to be very much in line with the Technical College of Sri Lanka. There hardly was any suspicion on this establishment where much hype was made on rehabilitating the Tamil youth by training them on technical fields from Computers to machinery training. In fact, when International Tamil Technical Professionals Organization (ITTPO) initiated the project to establish a Technical Training Institution, many genuine Tamil professionals supported the idea and contributed to the establishment by way of finances and lecturing. One among them back then volunteered to invest a hefty sum of money was Raj Rajasingham; as per the media reports claimed to be the richest Sri Lankan origin person domiciled in USA at that time.
(Image: Internet sources)
Please read the full article on Financial Times 19th Oct 2009:
My attention to these developments were renewed on 11th Oct 2007 when one of the Fast Attack Craft (FAC) patrolling in the Palk Bay intercepted an innocent looking Sri Lankan fishing vessel heading to Vedathalathiv area in Sri Lanka’s west coast north of the Thalaimannar island. Onboard the Fishing vessels the Navy recovered number of interesting items (see image) that are identified as Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) items with dual usage. These include brand new Garmin (Model Type 76) Handheld GPS receivers, remote controlled ‘toy’ plane and several PCBs! Out of all the apprehended items my interest naturally drawn to these PCBs and with NHQ permission I got down the consignment of 50 PCBs for analysis! These PCBs were of Atmel make and came with small antenna as shown in the image below.
These PCBs were made in Taiwan, and I started my search based on the numbers and type of PCBs through my network of analytical minds. There were two types of processors in the PCBs; Atmel ATMEGA8L 8AU0632I and 8AU0718I (Both V 3.0) and 8AU0716I (V 3.1). The manual illustrated the operating procedures for programming through the supplied mini-CD in sealed pack. What we figured out was that these are programmable PCBs and with the original CD we were able to programme one as a testing experiment. When we share our findings with the Naval Intelligence, we came to know that already at least one remotely controlled bomb explosion has taken place using this particular PCB and further it has been established that these were destine for the Vanni Tech! Then our curiosity was on what else these are capable of other than RF related functions, and I recall these very recently when Hamas Pagers started to explode in Lebanon and in Gaza reminding that how close we were in 2007 (16 years back!) through the terror networks!
These developments further got interested when Navy intercepted and attacked the withdrawing LTTE cadres from Eastern Province on 07th July 2007 off Kallarawa. During this land and sea battle Navy recovered several items that are used by the LTTE eastern leader called Swarnam. (See image below). All these were brand new items manufactured very recently.
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Data Transmitter made by Thrane & Thrane of Denmark in 2005 (left) and
modified Base Plate and PCB for interfacing data connectivity from a laptop for communication through satellite (right)
On 17.08.2007 Special Boat Squadron (SBS) had intercepted a wooden low-profile artisanal fishing craft fitted with a 40 Hp Out Board Motor with a separatist terrorist cadre on an infiltration mission at sea. Since that dead cadre also had the same Garmin Type 76 handheld GPS equipment its data was retrieved for analysis. The Fast Attack Flotilla pursued this recovery, and the brand-new handheld units already apprehended in Oct 2007 with the help of Naval Intelligence and several other researching naval personnel. One of them, being a wounded Special Boat Squadron veteran turned GIS/Digital Forensic expert analysed the data in all GPS handheld units and revealed that the purchase was done in Taiwan and smuggled through Tamil Nadu to Sri Lankan soil! (See image)
These Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Items that were recovered during warfighting indicate how wider the LTTE supply network was spreading from Australia to USA. I will narrate how LTTE’s Australian connection was stopped forcing them to purchase these items in USA and in Europe in next Newsletter. It is not the fighting cadres on ground wanted these, but the diaspora who thought that these available in those market can be purchased and used for terror purposes, and even gave instructions on how to use them!
Vanni Tech, meantime on the pretext of technical education continued to be exploited by LTTE and LTTE sympathisers to lure more funds and those who were employed in Vanni Tech also pose to portrait influence among the Tamil community in exhorting financial gains. See the story of the so-called Director of Vanni Tech in following link:
See following link on how Tamil Separatist elements gave publicity to Vanni Tech
Freelance
1wDear Y N, I read the article and found out how you you have gone into intricate details to make this article worth reading
Chartered Engineer (SL, India) MIE(SL), AMIE(India), BSs (DS) EEEng (Hons), MSc(Mgt), MSc(Def and SS), PGD(Def Mgt), LESC(India), GEC (China), AM(CMETSL)
2moThanks for sharing sir... Worthy reading....