Indian authorities have raised suspicion whether the LTTE is trying to regroup in Australia, after the arrest of several human traffickers, Indian media reported.

The arrest of four human traffickers while trying to transport six Sri Lankans to Australia through the Prakasam coast earlier this week has led to a suspicion among sleuths that the LTTE may be trying to revive itself after lying low for five years, The Hindu stated.

These sleuths, including Intelligence Bureau, CBI and Tamil Nadu police, came from Chennai in the wake of the busting of the human trafficking racket.

According to The Hindu, police sources have said that the illegal emigrants to Australia from Sri Lanka hailed from, among other places, Mullaitivu and Batticaloa. These were some of the erstwhile strongholds of LTTE. Furthermore, they were in the age group of 24 to 28 years. The youths with robust physique are without decent jobs. A sense of alienation has crept into their minds and hearts.

“The purpose of the youth flocking to the faraway Australia may not be merely for the sake of jobs” authorities suspect.

The investigations have revealed that the traffickers have used satellite phones with Global Positioning System (GPS) to keep in touch with their counterparts in the high seas and also transported illegally Lankan Tamils to other countries such as Ireland, UK and Canada. The human traffickers seem to have shifted their operations to Prakasam coast to transport illegal emigrants from Sri Lanka without hassles after landing in Chennai by air.

It has also been revealed that at least 60 illegal emigrants had used the Prakasam coast in the past to reach their favourite destination overseas. Subjecting the Sri Lanka-born kingpin of the racket Shanmugalingam to narco-analysis test will unravel the full details, the police sources have told The Hindu.

There have been fears of the revival of the LTTE overseas ever since the terror organization was defeated in May 2009. There were plans of a revival through political means just after the destruction of the leadership five years ago. The LTTE international network and front organizations survived the defeat of that year.

Sri Lankan security officials have reiterated the possibility of a revival of the LTTE overseas on several occasions. In April this year, the security forces killed three suspects who were said to be underground LTTE cadres in the north. Afterwards, even the US stated their concerns of a reviving LTTE.

However responding to this incident, TNA MP Suresh Premachandran told Sri Lankan media in April that there was no room for a revival of the LTTE here or overseas and the government is only raising fears to keep a heavy military presence in the north.