NEW DELHI, Jan 16: Three Sri Lankan nationals, suspected to have links with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and a Chennai man were arrested in Delhi, allegedly with forge travel documents, police said on Wednesday.

The move follows remarks made by the FBI in Washington recently that the LTTE, with its methods of assassination and use of suicide bombers, was an inspiration for Al Qaeda.

Delhi has tightened its security for the 26th January Republic Day parade.

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee was quoted as saying recently that Delhi would have no problems with Colombo taking on the LTTE in whatever way it chose. The issue has its sensitivities in Tamil Nadu, the Indian state separated from Sri Lanka by a narrow stretch of water. The state plays host to Tamil refugees who fled a raging civil war in the island nation.

Press Trust of India quoted a senior police official as saying that the Lankans, identified as Francis Jansan (29), T.S. Ranjit (28) and John Mary Agastan (22), were arrested from a hotel in Paharganj of central Delhi.

The fourth person arrested is Ayakannu, who was accompanying the trio.

He hailed from trouble-torn Jaffna, where the LTTE and Sri Lankan army are battling for control.

PTI said that Crime Branch sleuths of Delhi Police noticed the suspicious movements of the three near the hotel where they were staying. The searches in their room led to the alleged recovery of forged Indian passports and visa.

“As of now, we have not established that they have any links with Tamil Tigers. We have booked them under the relevant sections of the Foreigners Act. Investigations are on into all angles, including the LTTE link,” the official said.

The Lankans are understood to have told their interrogators, that they have procured the documents from a Chennai-based man by paying him money.