A high-profile organized criminal who had fled to the Maldives has been brought back to Sri Lanka by a team of officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The suspect, against whom an international Red Notice had been issued, was arrested upon his arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake on July 4, 2026, and has been handed over to the Western Province South Crime Division for further investigation.
The arrested suspect is a 23-year-old resident of the Ethulgama area. He was flagged and detained at the airport terminal after being identified by the automated biometric E-gate system.
The suspect is heavily implicated in the shocking double murder plot that took place on February 13, 2026, in the Akuregoda area under the Thalangama police division. During that incident, an attorney-at-law and his wife were targeted and shot inside their vehicle. The suspect is believed to have operated the getaway vehicle utilized by the gunmen during the assassination.
The police said that the suspect has a history of major criminal activities and was out on strict bail for prior offenses at the time of the shooting. His criminal record includes:
October 21, 2025:Arrested by the Malwathuhiripitiya Police for the unlawful possession of a T-56 assault rifle. He was subsequently produced before the Minuwangoda Magistrate’s Court and released under strict bail conditions.
December 15, 2025: Arrested by the Welikada Police for the possession of heroin, produced before the relevant Magistrate's Court, and released on strict bail.
