Six Sri Lankan suspects, including Ishara Sewwandi, arrested in a joint operation by the Sri Lankan Police and Nepal Police near Kathmandu, are scheduled to be brought back to Sri Lanka today or tomorrow.
Two officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are set to travel to Nepal to escort the suspects back. The arrests were carried out at three locations about 15 kilometers from Kathmandu, under the supervision of Assistant Superintendent of Police Rohan Olugala, Director of the Northern District Crime Division of the Western Province, along with a CID officer.
Apart from Ishara Sewwandi, another female suspect bears a striking resemblance to her, according to senior police officials. Two of the other suspects are residents of Jaffna, while the remaining two are from Colombo and Gampaha. They are reportedly followers of Kehalbaddara Padme and linked to a drug ring. CID officials believe that the suspect resembling Ishara Sewwandi holds crucial information that could advance the investigation.
All suspects, except Ishara Sewwandi, are expected to be deported on the same flight as her. A Sri Lankan government flight has been prepared for their return.
The arrests are connected to the murder of Ganemullae Sanjeewa, who was shot in the dock of the Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court No. 05 on February 19 by an underworld shooter posing as a lawyer. Investigations revealed that Ishara Sewwandi had allegedly facilitated the shooting by smuggling a firearm into the court. While the shooter was apprehended shortly after the attack, Ishara had fled the country.
According to police sources, after Kehalbaddara Padme was arrested in Indonesia, he revealed that Ishara and several others had been moved to Nepal with plans to smuggle them to Europe using a fake passport. Acting on this information, CID officers coordinated with Nepal Police to locate and apprehend the group. Ishara was arrested after leaving an apartment complex near Kathmandu, while the other suspects were captured in subsequent raids.
Among the six, only Ishara Sewwandi has a Red Notice issued by Interpol, highlighting her key role in ongoing investigations. Police say further interrogations are expected to reveal additional details about the criminal network involved in the murder and narcotics operations.
