Charles Haviland BBC Colombo

	Prime Minister recently warned about Tiger activities in foreign countries

The reported arrests come as Sri Lanka continues to allege that the former guerrillas are doing their best to mobilise overseas.

Reports say three Sri Lankan Tamil men were arrested during a police raid in the town of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, the Indian state closest to Sri Lanka.

5,000 detonators seized

The Indian media accounts say more than 5,000 detonators were seized from their possession, with explosive materials stockpiled ready for transport to Sri Lanka.

The arrests came a week after Indian officials blamed pro-LTTE elements for blowing up a section of railway, also in Tamil Nadu; a major train accident was only narrowly averted.

Leaflets were reportedly found at the site praising the LTTE’s dead leader and condemning a visit to India that Sri Lanka’s president was making at the time.

fears in Malaysia

Sri Lanka says it has completely quashed the former guerrilla group domestically but senior officials here regularly say that LTTE supporters are working against the state from overseas or are fleeing Sri Lanka calling themselves refugees.

Officials in Malaysia, have recently been quoted as saying that they fear their territory is being used by LTTE members.

	The Sri Lankan government frequently asks others to take action against what it regards as LTTE front organisations.

pro-separatist Tamil diaspora groups

A pro-separatist Tamil diaspora group calling itself the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam has announced that two of its members are currently in Malaysia, in its words to “look after the wellbeing” of a group of more than 70 Tamil people recently discovered in a boat in Malaysian waters.

The Sri Lankan government frequently asks others to take action against what it regards as LTTE front organisations. But countries which have banned the LTTE say this can only be done if those other organisations clearly do something illegal.