New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has uncovered a complex web of financial transactions and cross-border links involving Sri Lankan drug kingpin C. Gunashekaran, also known as Guna, in its ongoing investigation into a conspiracy aimed at reviving the proscribed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in India and Sri Lanka. According to sources familiar with the probe, Guna allegedly transferred significant amounts of illicit drug proceeds to associates of Haji Salim, a notorious Karachi-based arms and drug trafficker with known links to several transnational criminal networks.

The NIA’s findings, presented before a court in October 2025 while opposing a discharge plea filed by Guna, detail documentary and digital evidence connecting him to cross-border narcotics trafficking, hawala networks, cryptocurrency transfers, and fundraising activities for the LTTE. Guna, who was arrested in Tamil Nadu in December 2022 along with nine other Sri Lankan nationals, has been identified as a central figure in a well-orchestrated criminal network working to resurrect the banned organisation.

According to NIA submissions, Guna, along with fellow Sri Lankan drug mafia Pushparajah, alias Pookutti Kanna, convened a meeting at a special detention facility in Trichy on March 15, 2022. The purpose of this meeting, investigators allege, was to coordinate the mobilization of funds and acquisition of arms for the LTTE through illicit drug trafficking and arms trading. Haji Salim, the Karachi-based criminal, was reportedly the key facilitator for cross-border movement of these funds and supplies. A senior NIA officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated:

“They acted with a common criminal intention to raise huge funds and arms through narcotic and arms trafficking, in association with Salim, for the revival of the proscribed LTTE in India and Sri Lanka.”

The probe revealed that Guna and his son Thilipan used cryptocurrency channels, including USDT (Tether) and platforms like Binance, to transfer portions of the proceeds from their drug operations to Salim’s associates in the UAE. These funds were reportedly utilised to procure drugs, arms, and ammunition, thereby facilitating the operational resurgence of the LTTE. NIA sources confirmed that both crypto and traditional hawala networks were extensively leveraged, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of international financial systems to conceal the movement of funds.

Digital evidence seized from Guna’s devices included detailed financial records, communication logs, and cryptocurrency transactions amounting to crores of rupees, highlighting direct links between the drug trafficking operations and the LTTE’s revival plans. The agency’s investigation underscores that these activities go beyond ideological sympathy, amounting to active participation in the reconstitution of a banned organisation with a history of violent militancy.

The LTTE, formed in 1976, became one of the most lethal terrorist organisations in South Asia. Following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, India officially banned the outfit. Despite suffering a decisive military defeat in Sri Lanka in 2009 with the killing of its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, the LTTE has reportedly continued clandestine operations aimed at regrouping scattered cadres and reviving its separatist agenda, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in extending the ban on the LTTE in May 2024, noted that the organisation continued to foster separatist tendencies and sought to expand its support base both within India and internationally.

Haji Salim, whose associates received illicit funds from Guna, is known to have links with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim. Salim reportedly supervises arms and drug smuggling operations along maritime routes into India. The NIA has indicated that it is in communication with Sri Lankan authorities to coordinate further investigations into Guna’s activities and the broader LTTE network.

The agency had previously filed a charge sheet in June 2023 against 10 Sri Lankan nationals, including Guna, and three Indian nationals for their alleged involvement in the LTTE revival conspiracy. The document detailed extensive plans involving narcotics revenue, hawala channels, and cryptocurrency-based transactions intended to fund terrorist activities. Officials describe the scheme as highly organised, linking illicit financial operations to the attempted resurgence of a proscribed terrorist outfit, thus highlighting the nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism.

The NIA’s revelations come amid heightened vigilance by Indian authorities over cross-border funding for terrorist activities. The use of cryptocurrency and informal financial channels, as in the case of Guna and Salim, reflects a growing sophistication among criminal networks in evading conventional detection mechanisms. Experts note that monitoring digital transactions and cross-border remittances has become a crucial element in counter-terrorism operations, particularly given the ease with which illicit funds can now be transferred internationally.

The investigation also underscores the persistence of LTTE sympathisers and operatives decades after the organisation’s military defeat. While the group’s military capabilities were neutralised in 2009, remnants of the LTTE have reportedly engaged in fundraising, propaganda, and networking activities aimed at re-establishing the outfit both in Sri Lanka and India. The NIA’s findings suggest that these activities are closely intertwined with narcotics trafficking and organised crime, creating a multi-layered challenge for security and law enforcement agencies.

Officials emphasise that the ongoing investigation seeks not only to dismantle the immediate conspiracy but also to trace and disrupt the wider network facilitating the flow of funds and resources for terrorist purposes. By establishing clear links between Guna, Salim, and the LTTE revival plot, the NIA aims to ensure accountability and prevent any resurgence of violent militancy associated with the banned organisation.

As India continues to monitor cross-border security threats, the case of Guna highlights the complex intersection of drug trafficking, organised crime, and terrorism financing. Investigators are employing a combination of traditional investigative techniques and digital forensics, including cryptocurrency analysis, to map the flow of illicit funds and establish concrete evidence of criminal conspiracy.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has reiterated that the LTTE continues to represent a threat to India’s territorial integrity and internal security. With support networks extending across borders, authorities are particularly concerned about the potential for fundraising and propaganda activities to influence vulnerable communities and provide operational support to LTTE remnants.

The NIA’s ongoing probe into Guna and associates underscores the critical importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational terrorism financing. As investigations progress, authorities are expected to provide further clarity on the operational mechanisms employed by these networks, including the role of digital currencies, hawala channels, and cross-border collaborations.

In conclusion, the NIA’s findings illuminate the multifaceted nature of the LTTE revival conspiracy, linking Sri Lankan drug kingpins, international criminal syndicates, and remnants of a banned terrorist organisation. With meticulous documentation of financial flows and operational coordination, Indian authorities are moving to disrupt the network, prevent funding for prohibited activities, and safeguard national security against a resurgent LTTE threat.