Iranians hired for manufacturing drugs in Sri Lanka

According to police reports, around 17 kilograms of ICE were produced at the Hambantota laboratory. Of this, approximately 10 kilograms were supplied to underworld figure “Kehelbaddara Padme,” while a further 4 kilograms were sold to another known criminal, “Mattakkuliya Chathu.”

The meth lab had been set up inside a room of a house in Mayurapura. Police disclosed that three Iranians were brought into the country to work at the facility. They had stayed at a hotel on Lewaya Road, Hambantota, between March 20 and April 10, with one of them returning again from August 20 to September 3.

The operation was allegedly overseen by a suspect identified as “Panadura Nilanga.” Investigators said that Padme had also admitted to running a separate meth lab in Nuwara Eliya, where around 15 kilograms of ICE were produced with the assistance of two other foreign nationals. A photograph showing the production process at that location has reportedly been submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Police further confirmed that Padme, Nilanga, and several others—including “Backhoe Saman,” “Thambili Lahiru,” and “Commando Salintha”—who were arrested in Indonesia and repatriated, admitted their involvement in local meth production. However, they claimed they later abandoned the operation due to the high cost of manufacturing drugs locally compared to importing them.