Though no photographs have yet been published, it is believed that the Tamil Tiger aviation assets total no more than five light aircraft, all reported to be the Czech-manufactured Zlin Z-143L. The aircraft are believed to have been disassembled, smuggled into Tamil-controlled territory, and reassembled in secret facilities.

Though Sri Lankan authorities have claimed that they have bombed the airfields utilised by the "Flying Tigers," these small single-engine, four passenger aircraft can be flown from dirt strips, and hidden in small warehouses and other low-profile buildings, so locating and destroying them could be a difficult task, and we do not know how many of these terrorist assets are currently inside the Tamil-occupied territory.

Compliance officers in Central and Eastern European banks whose clients are sales agents and exporters of light aircraft and aviation components destined for South Asian purchasers might want to watch for large payments made by ethnic Tamils. Are aircraft shipments going to countries near Sri Lanka that  generally do not serve as a market for  new light aircraft ? If anything suspicious surfaces, conduct a thorough investigation.

Remember, the Tamil diaspora is the major source of funding of arms and supplies for Tamil Tiger operations inside Sri Lanka. Many overseas Tamils are the unwilling victims of extortion and  physical threats, used by the Tigers to obtain funding for their military operations. Tamil Tiger terrorist fund-raising activities in the US and Canada are priority targets of North American law enforcement. They often involve bogus charities or front organisations. Vett all overseas Tamil companies carefully; this is not profiling, but protecting your bank from the reputation damage that often occurs, call it "collateral damage," when a financial institution is named as the funding source for a terrorist financing pipeline.

New readers are urged to consult the World-Check archives for other recent articles on Tamil Tiger financing operations.