2 more supporters of Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka are sentenced in NY court for arms deal scheme
By APMonday, January 25, 2010
2 more Tamil Tiger backers sentenced in NY
NEW YORK — Two more supporters of the now-defeated Tamil Tiger insurgents in Sri Lanka have been sentenced in New York to prison.
Sahilal Sabaratnam (SAH’-hee-lahl Sah-bah-RAHT’-nahm) and Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam (THEE’-roo-thah-nee-kahn THAH’-nee-gah-suh-lahm) had pleaded guilty last year to providing material support to terrorists.
Both were sentenced to 25 years behind bars Monday in a Brooklyn federal court. Two other co-defendants were sentenced last week.
The FBI lured the four men from Canada in 2006 to a meeting in New York with undercover agents posing as arms dealers. They were arrested after allegedly agreeing to a shipment of 10 surface-to-air missiles and 500 AK-47s.
Government forces routed the Tamil insurgency last year to end more than 25 years of civil war.
