Tamilska pizza-tigrar med svensk koppling?

Regimtrogen press i Sri Lanka påstår att kreditkortsbedrägerier i Norge finansierar de fruktade Tamilska Tigrarna - och att det finns en svensk koppling.

Norsk press har, såvitt jag kan se, behandlat härvan i termer av normal kriminalitet, och undvikit att berätta om den etniska och regionala kopplingen mellan de misstänkta annat än i mycket vida begrepp, vilket tyvärr försvårar läsarnas möjlighet att förstå eller själva värdera uppgifterna.

Den 35 år gamle mannen fra Oslo er tiltalt for grovt bedrageri for over 5,3 millioner kroner ved hjelp av til sammen 95 falske kredittkort.

Sammen med ham er 15 andre menn fra østlandsområdet tiltalt for medvirkning til bedrageriene.

Tiltalen lyder også en rekke tilfeller av forsøk på grovt bedrageri.

- Vi mener han har vært lederen i en organisert gruppe som drev med kortbedrageri. Han har skaffet kort og gjort avtaler med de medtiltalte om bruken i deres forretninger, sier statsadvokat Trude Maren Buanes til NTB.

Til sammen er det foretatt en lang rekke små og store transaksjoner i butikker og serveringssteder som da tilhørte de medtiltalte.

Ifølge tiltalen ble data fra betalingskortene til hovedsakelig drosjekunder kopiert ved hjelp av en skimmer og senere skrevet inn i nye, blanke kort. De tiltalte skal ha brukt de falske kortene til å kjøpe seg verdigjenstander og gjøre til dels svært store kontantuttak i sin egne betalingsterminaler.

Virksomheten pågikk i rundt to år fra våren 2004 til i fjor vår.

På Sri Lanka menar man dock att de misstänkta sympatiserar med de Tamilska Tigrarna, och att bedrägerierna finansierat deras terrordåd.

En artikel i Daily News (som reproduceras av Sri Lankas Armé - regimtroget, som sagt) beskriver målande de osannolika förklaringarna som getts av de tilltalade. En pizzeria-ägare påstår att hans kund faktiskt beställt mat för 10.000 dollar på en kväll, vilket Daily News konstaterar motsvarar 185 pizzor, 149 öl och mer än 100 drinkar.

De misstänkta benämns pizza-tigrarna.

In Norway one of the country's largest credit card frauds is unfolding in the courts in Oslo. 5.3 million Norwegian kroner have been stolen with fake credit cards.

Norwegian LTTE sympathisers, their restaurants and strip joints are involved in the credit card scam. The 35 year Satrubarajah Shanmugarajah (RUBY) according to the police is the main man. He has pleaded guilty to several of the charges.

Ruby and his attorney Vidar Helgheim say Ruby is only the running boy. Other defendants are Sureswaran Thuraisingham, Kajamugan Parameswaran, Selvakumar Yoganathan, Theepakanth Aiyathurai and Sriranjan Sivananeswaran.

In Norway a total of 95 credit cards are involved. Earlier this year we have had arrested the same organised crime group, but the district attorney Trude Maren Buanes, choose not to mention this in her opening statement.

In Phuket LTTE cadre M. Pathmathas together with other LTTE cadres was arrested with 5000 cards and in Nairobi 72 cards were confiscated.

The LTTE has sent Balakumar Poluthurai to Nairobi (Norwegian passport) to commit the fraud. Balakumar Poluthurai has drawn attention to himself by using the same ATM for more than an hour.

Impatient customers in the long line behind him notified the Nairobi police. There are total of 16 defendants in the Norwegian case. Some of the defendants are well known figures in the Norwegian underworld. 32 witnesses will be called to testify in one of the largest credit card fraud cases in Norwegian history.

The court case is progressing slowly and the translation to Tamil language complicates and delays the case further.

In their testimony the restaurant owners are providing the most ridiculous explanations for the goods recieved for the credit card charges.

The owner of Nordisk Pizza in Hakkadal, Norway, said Shanamugarajah Ruby did order food and beverages for approximately 10.000 US dollar one evening. When Nordisk Pizza most expensive pizza cost 30 US dollars and the most expensive drink costs 12 US dollars, Shanamugarajah Ruby (and allegedly 15 friends) must have eaten 185 large pizzas, 149 pints of beer and more than 100 alcoholic drinks in a few hours if the owner of Nordisk Pizza was speaking the truth.

The District attorney believes money shifted hands and only a fraction of the food has actually entered the "Pizza Tigers" bellies.

Daily News hävdar vidare att bedrägerierna har förgreningar in i Sverige, men förtydligar tyvärr inte. En misstänkt ska ha påstått att den utpekade huvudmannen inte alls är hjärnan bakom härvan, och istället pekat ut en "Rajan". Denne Rajan ska ha kopplingar till en svensk Tiger-cell:

The restaurant owner of Little India, Suraswaran Thuraisingham, said he doubted the Shanmugarajah (RUBY) is the main man since he has the intelligence of a 15 year old.

He confirmed RUBY and his friends have paid his bills with credit cards. Even after American Express refused to pay a bill for 21.700 Norwegian kroner (USD 3200) to restaurant Little India, he allowed Ruby and his friends to use other credit cards.

According to Suraswaran Thuraisingham he believed another LTTE cadre "Rajan" could be involved in the credit card scam. Thuraisingham mentioned "Rajan," who is connected to the LTTE cells in Bremen and Sweden. Thuraisingham testimony contradicts Ruby's story where individuals connected to the LTTE in Great Britain is recipients of the funds from his frauds.

Det finns all anledning att tvivla på uppgifter ifrån den regimtrogna pressen i denna infekterade konflikt. Läs kritiskt!