ULFA linked to LTTE: Police

The banned United Liberation Front of Asom has established links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam but there is no evidence that it is receiving arms supplies from the Sri Lankan rebel group, a top Assam Police official has said.

"The ULFA leadership has established 'diplomatic relations' with the LTTE and there is evidence in that regard," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Asked to comment on a news item on the Sri Lankan portal, lanka.com, that the LTTE was supplying arms to the ULFA through its 'merchant navy', the official said, "So far there is evidence that only diplomatic relations between leaders of both the outfits has been established. We cannot say that a working or operational relation is there between the two outfits, but the top leaders know each other."

Thousands of ULFA cadres have either surrendered or been arrested, but none of them had confessed to any arms deal with the LTTE, the official pointed out.

The portal had claimed the LTTE's merchant navy recently transported a large consignment of arms and ammunition through southeast Asia and delivered it to the ULFA.

"The ISI introduced LTTE's arms suppliers to ULFA leaders and two Tamils were arrested in Cox's Bazaar in Bangladesh when a huge quantity of ammunition meant for the ULFA was seized," the official said.

Arms were also supplied to ULFA through Cambodia, for which the group paid 'hard currency routed through Nepal', he said.

The portal had also claimed the ISI had facilitated recent visits by top ULFA leaders including commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah to Singapore, Thailand and other countries.