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Vancouver, Mar 18: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) here has arrested a Tamil for raising funds for the banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The LTTE is banned as a terrorist organisation in Canada under the post 9/11 anti-terrorism laws.

Under these laws, anyone who gives funds to a banned terror outfit can be jailed for 10 years and who raises funds faces up to 14 years behind bars. 

Prapaharan Thambithurai has been arrested for targeting Sri Lankan Tamils of the Lower Mainland here for donations to the Tamil Tigers. He will appear in court on Tuesday to face charges.

LTTE supporters were openly active in Canada till the new Conservative government in 2006 banned the outfit.

With over 250,000 Sri Lankan Tamils living in this country, Canada has their largest concentration outside Sri Lanka.

Of these, about 200,000 live in the Toronto area where they wield a significant political clout in a few ridings (constituencies).

It has been reported that thousands of former LTTE guerrillas have also made Canada their home.

Before the ban, the LTTE was accused of raising money from Canadian Tamils through extortion and threats to fund its guerrilla warfare in Sri Lanka.