Three men suspected of involvement in organised crime, arrested in Malaysia last month, are being flown back to Sri Lanka on Monday under a special security operation.
Ada Derana reported the group is due to land aboard flight UL 317 at 4.00 p.m., escorted by a police team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Rohan Olugala. Daily Mirror reported the suspects will be handed to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation on arrival.
Among them is the man known as “Ratmalane Saima”, described by both outlets as a close associate of the alleged organised crime figure known as “Kanjipani Imran”. Ada Derana reported an Interpol Red Notice had been issued against him, and that the men are wanted in connection with several murder cases and other organised criminal activity.
How the arrests were made
Daily Mirror reported the operation was run jointly by Interpol, Malaysian police and a Sri Lankan team, working through the Sri Lankan Embassy in Malaysia. It said the effort began several weeks ago when ASP Olugala, director of the Walana Anti-Corruption Force, and ASP Wasantha Pitiyakumbura of the Legal Division travelled to Malaysia to help trace the suspects.
Investigators told the paper that “Ratmalane Saima” had allegedly served as a key operator in a drug network linked to Imran, and that he was believed to have built substantial wealth through the narcotics trade, including ownership of a five-storey hotel in Thailand. Those claims have not been tested in court, and no charges have been made public.
The wider effort against overseas suspects
The three were arrested in Malaysia in late July, in an operation NewsFirst later reported had involved CID officers directly. Police said at the time the men were expected to be returned within the week.
Sri Lankan police have repeatedly said senior figures in the country’s drug networks direct operations from abroad while staying beyond the reach of local courts. In May, 21 wanted Sri Lankans were deported from Dubai and arrested on arrival at Mattala, several of them subject to Interpol Red Notices.
Sources: Ada Derana, Daily Mirror.
