Shropshire Star

Two Mid Wales men have been charged with conspiring to support the banned terrorist Tamil Tigers organisation.

Scotland Yard said today the men are accused of possessing equipment including radios, computers and high-power magnets for terrorist purposes.

The men were due to appear at the City of Westminster Magistrates Court today.

They are Jegatheswaran Muraleetharan, also known as Muralee Tharan, of Beechwood Drive, Newtown, and Jeyatheswaran Vythyatharan, also known as Vithy Tharan, of Crescent Gardens, Newtown.

The pair, aged 46 and 39, were arrested in Newtown on April 29 by officers from the Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command following raids in Old Kerry Road, Crescent Gardens and Beechwood Drive.

Two other men, Arun-achalam Chrishanthakumar, also known as AC Shanthan, 51, of Norbury, south London, and Muru-gesu Jegatheeswaran, also known as M Jegan, 33, of Mitcham, south London, have also been charged.

All four men face a single charge of conspiring to receive equipment for terrorist purposes between January 2003 and December 2006.

Among the items listed in the charge were Toughnote laptops, head torches, printed circuit boards and lithium coin cell batteries.

They are also accused of possessing other electrical equipment, GPS and antenna equipment, transceivers, radios, navigation systems and high-power magnets.

The move is the latest development in a long-running probe aimed at flushing out sympathisers of the Sri Lankan separatist group, the Tamil Tigers.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “All four men are have been charged and are due to appear before Westminster magistrates today.”

Police confirmed the men were arrested in connection with alleged links to the group. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, known as the Tamil Tigers, are responsible for guerrilla fighting in Sri Lanka. The group is fighting for autonomy for Tamils in the north and east of the country.

Government officials and senior police officers believe large sums of money are collected in Britain to fund further attacks.

By Anwen Evans