Oct 16, 2007 5:06 pm US/Eastern
Man With Terror Ties Worked At Newark Liberty
Sri Lankan Linked To Tamil Tigers Busted In ATM Ring
NEWARK (CBS) ―
-
-
Authorities say a man with ties to a major terrorist group had been working at Newark Liberty Airport prior to his recent arrest.
Doug Kanter / AFP / Getty Images
How did a man with a fake passport and ties to terrorist organizations get a security job at Newark Liberty International Airport?
He worked at the airport for a company called Gateway Security, pushing wheelchairs in secure areas.
But authorities say Siva-Palasri Velay-u-Thampillai -- a Sri Lankan -- was busted along with a half-dozen other men for looting ATM machines in Manhattan.
What's even scarier is authorities say the suspects are part of a global identity theft ring linked to the Tamil Tigers, a terrorist group. Passengers question how one of the suspects, who came to the U.S. with a fake passport and got political asylum, was employed at the airport.
"No matter what people do there's going to be a crack in the wall somewhere," Chris Wilde said.
Port Authority officials say the suspect passed an FBI background check. The Authority also said the feds do random checks of all employees but Sen. Chuck Schumer says the system of checking employees at airports is flawed.
"They are letting all of these security companies do these very, very cursory background checks, and they're not thorough and they don't do the job," Schumer said.
Schumer blames the Department of Homeland Security.
"What a bad department they are and how they're falling down on the job," Schumer said.
Homeland Security officials referred CBS 2 HD to the Transportation Security Administration, which has not returned our calls.
The company the Port Authority uses for criminal background checks -- the American Association of Airport Executives -- sends fingerprints to an FBI database. Velay-u-Thampillai passed every check.
Still, one former immigration agent says law enforcement -- not companies -- should be investigating airport employees.
"We would be picking up criminals, fugitives and possibly terrorist," former immigration agent Joe Occhipinti said.
Most of the defendants are being held without bail. The airport worker is being held on $2 million bail.
WCBSTV.com's Most Popular Pages
Openly Gay Celebrities
Hooray For The Red, White And Zooom!
Hollywood Walk Of Names: Celebrity Real Names Revealed
When It Was Out To Be Out
100 Greatest Movies Of All Time
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
NY School Hostage Suspect Surrenders 1 hr 7 mins ago 
NY Gotti Trial Temporarily Halted 25 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments