A suspect who had fled back to Sri Lanka after escaping the custody of Indian security forces following his arrest in India with 337 kilograms of heroin has been arrested while hiding in the Wadduwa area. The Mount Lavinia Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau arrested the individual yesterday (30).
The arrest was made following an investigation by the Mount Lavinia Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau, acting on information that a wanted individual was hiding in a rented house in Wadduwa.
The raid was conducted under the direct supervision of the Bureau's Officer-in-Charge, Chief Inspector Nilantha Gamage.
The suspect was arrested pursuant to an open warrant issued in 2024 regarding his escape after having been previously produced before the Marawila Court. Questioning revealed that in 2024, acting on instructions from a drug trafficker named 'Walle Saranga', he had traveled by boat to Indian waters with several others to collect a consignment of narcotics.
He stated that while in waters near the Maldives, they received a 337-kilogram shipment of narcotics from another boat, but were subsequently taken into custody by the Indian Navy while transporting the drugs to India.
He further mentioned that he escaped while being taken to a court in Kochi, stole a bicycle parked near the courthouse, and rode it for 900 kilometers over nine days to reach Tamil Nadu. The suspect stated that he had entered a fishing harbor in Tamil Nadu, stolen fuel from several docked vessels to fill another boat, and fled the area; he further claimed that, being unsure of the correct route to Sri Lanka, he obtained directions from an Indian fishing vessel and sailed eastward for three days before arriving in the Wennappuwa area.
He noted that he was subsequently taken into police custody while hospitalized due to an illness and was later remanded following his appearance before the Marawila Magistrate's Court.
The suspect revealed that, after spending three months in prison, he escaped while being brought back to the Marawila court. Police further stated that, as Interpol has issued a Red Notice for his arrest, he is due to be handed over to India.