Extortion threats to Tamil businessmen on rise in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 August 2008, 07:17 GMT]
Extortion threats to Tamil businessmen in Colombo and its suburbs by intimidation through phone calls have been stepped up during the recent weeks, Sri Lankan Deputy Minister and Parliamentarian of the Upcountry Peoples' Front (UPF) P. Rathakrishanan, has complained in a letter to Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jayantha Wickremasinghe, citing numerous complaints made to him and the police. The threats are being issued with visible caller ID at a time when Sri Lankan Defence ministry has implemented stringent measures on telephone usage.

The complainants have given the phone numbers from which threats were issued.

His party, the UPF, has extended a request to those who receive intimidating calls demanding money, to complain to the local police and to provide the related details also to the UPF.

The IGP has assured the minister that the police was taking necessary measures to arrest the persons involved, according to a statement issued by the UPF Colombo branch.

The threats which had abated are again on the rise in the recent times, according to Mr. Rathakrishnan.