Terror Group Busted In Plot To Rob New York ATMs

October 16, 2007

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How did a man with a fake passport and ties to terrorist organizations not only get a security job at Newark Liberty International Airport but also pass several background checks, including one performed by the FBI? That’s what authorities are now trying to determine.

Authorities say Sivapalasri Velayuthampillai, a Sri Lankan was arrested along with a half-dozen other men for looting ATM machines in Manhattan. He worked at the airport for a company called Gateway Security.

Authorities say the suspects are part of a global identity theft ring linked to the Tamil Tigers, a terrorist group. The group was apparently involved in a scheme to use stolen credit card numbers to steal $250,000 in New York and tens of millions from ATMs worldwide.

The NY Daily News has more.

Manhattan prosecutors told the Daily News the eight men had ties to the terror group and were part of a scheme to use stolen credit card numbers to steal $250,000 in New York - and tens of millions from ATMs worldwide.

Six were nabbed in January in a raid at the Chelsea Inn, a reputed lair for the ultraviolent Sri Lankan separatist group.

The other two, including alleged ringleader Sivapalasri Velayuthampillai, 31, of Newark, were busted in July.

Until his arrest, Velayuthampillai worked three jobs at Newark Airport as a security agent and baggage handler with complete security clearance.

Prosecutors said Velayuthampillai entered the U.S. with a fake passport and dubious tale of persecution. He was given political asylum in December 2001 under circumstances still under investigation by District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.

“The defendant is part of a large, highly organized ring of international criminals who steal account and PIN numbers … and then come to the United States to steal money from our financial institutions,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Kim Han said in court papers.

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