Four accused of supporting banned terror group

Four men have been charged with conspiring to support the banned terrorist Tamil Tigers organisation.

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

All four men, who were arrested at addresses in London and Wales, will appear today at City of Westminster magistrates' court.

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 four men are:

Arunachalam Chrishanthakumar, also known as AC Shanthan, 51, of Upwood Road, Norbury, south London;

Jegatheswaran Muraleetharan, also known as Muralee Tharan, 46, of Beechwood Drive, Newtown, Powys;

Jeyatheswaran Vythyatharan, also known as Vithy Tharan, 39. of Crescent Gardens, Newtown, Powys;

Murugesu Jegatheeswaran, also known as M Jegan, 33, of Bond Road, Mitcham, south London.

The move follows a series of raids at addresses in Powys, in south London and Harrow, northwest London, and in Surrey last week.

Chrishanthakumar was arrested on Tuesday in the Swindon area. Police said Muraleetharan and Vythyatharan are brothers.

It was the latest development in a long-running investigation aimed at flushing out sympathisers of the proscribed organisation.

The Tamil Tigers - or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - are responsible for three decades of guerrilla fighting in Sri Lanka.

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

Tamil Tiger activists are also suspected of involvement in widespread credit card scams, fraud and extortion.