(Photo courtesy: NTK site)

India’s National Investigation Agency has conducted several raids in multiple locations across Tamil Nadu linked to key figures of the Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) including popular YouTuber Saatai, over the alleged laundering of funds for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The NTK, is a Tamil nationalist political party founded by film director Seeman.

According to the Indian press, the searches were a follow-up to what has been dubbed the 'Omalur arms case' in Tamil Nadu in which two individuals, Naveen Chakravorty and Sanjay Prakash, were arrested in May 2022. They were reported to have been in possession of pistols, ammunition, and gunpowder, with the Indian press claiming they were 'inspired' by the LTTE.

One NTK functionary whose house was raided was popular YouTuber ‘Sattai’ Duraimurugan. The search took place at his residence in Shanmuga Nagar, in Tiruchi.

In June 2022, the NIA filed chargesheets against 13 individuals, including three Indians and ten Sri Lankan nationals, in a case involving illegal drugs and arms trade between the two countries. Subsequently, the NIA made another arrest last year of yet another individual who they claim had links to Eelam Tamil smugglers involved in drugs and arms trafficking, as well as others from a refugee camp in Tamil Nadu.

The LTTE was militarily defeated in 2009 with no military activity having taken place at all since then. Regardless, the Sri Lankan state and the Indian security services have regularly detained individuals they accuse of attempting to "revive" the liberation movement.