Tamil gangs
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[edit] Objectives
Traditionally, Tamil gangs have run protection schemes, money laundering, assassination, gambling, armed robbery, sport events, and dance festivals.
Contrary to popular belief, the majority of Tamil gangs are not involved with drug trafficking or any other types of crime related to drugs. They mainly fund themselves through credit card fraud by working in petrol stations to copy card numbers.
It must be noted that none of the Tamil gangs have any affiliation with the Tamil Rebel movement back in their native country. They in there own will pursue a state of violence whose main purpose is to scare the innocence through extortions and intimidation.
[edit] Organisation
The original UK Tamil gang's founders were from North West London: Jasper R, Ranjan Shanmughanathan, Thivu Kumar, Jez K, and Aji Balasundra. They received outside assistance from the Henry Family, and remnants of Arif Family and various other non-Tamil elements. As the gang became larger, the various founding members began to either leave or be sentenced to prison. Infighting broke out, with each region splitting off of the main faction. The Tamil gang separated into various district affiliated groups *[1]. Then began the years of violence and murder.*[2]. These were nothing like before; crimes were committed in day light in full view of the public, where members were seen brandishing swords, knives, axes and guns.
By 2003, gun crime had risen and had spread to the Tamil communities. The murder rate drastically increased over decade 1993-2003. There were over 20 murders involving Tamils and 100 kidnappings before the end of the year.
At the start of 2003, Scotland Yard had created a special Tamil Task Force to investigate and dismantle the UK Tamil gang network. By the end of 2004 all of the Tamil gangs had become disfunctional except for East Side & Tooting Boys. The police's Tamil Task Force had successfully arrested or deported numerous tamil affiliated gangs. However only two of the original founders had been imprisoned for their crimes: Ranjan Shanmughanathan and Aji Balasundra.
[edit] Sub-Gang Activity
The West Kent Tamils (WKT) are among the most notorious Tamil gangs for their involvement in drug trafficking. They are the only Tamil gang to have ever been involved in the trade of narcotics. Their objective was to be involved in the flood of Category B drugs such as the illicit Cannabis trade. A number of seizures and arrests at Dover brought this gang down, but although the Metropolitan Police officially declared a cessation of the gang’s activities, its members were never prosecuted despite being charged.
[edit] Inventory
The police were not able to recover much of the original gang's inventory, but as the gang split into dissident rivalries, a proportion of the main gang's weaponry was passed down to the various different sub-gangs. However, the main bulk of the weapons (Silencers, Uzi SMGs, stun guns, CS gas and hand blades) were not recovered. It is unknown where they are to this date; Scotland Yard were only able to obtain knowledge of the weapons cache through the questioning of various Tamil gang members later on.
In Canada, when the gang violence was at its highest, a variety of weapons were found; ranging from melee weapons to high powered rifles. Knives, swords, machetes, extendos, brass knuckles are some type of weapons used for melee violence. However, handguns, uzis, shotguns and even AK47s were used at times. The use of the AK47 was most noticable by the gang AK Kannan (an apt name which means "AK47 god").
After the arrests four and a half years ago, many in Toronto's Tamil community said they breathed a sigh of relief and there was a noticeable dip in crime in Tamil neighbourhoods.
