Two men wanted by Sri Lanka Police over organised crime, drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms were arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport on Thursday morning after being deported from Abu Dhabi, police said.
The suspects arrived at Katunayake at about 10.15 a.m. on Etihad Airways flight EY-392 and were taken into custody on arrival, Ada Derana reported. Officers recorded lengthy statements from both before handing them to separate units for further investigation.
Who was arrested
Ada Derana named them as Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Bandula Dissanayake, 37, of Dunkannawa, Ashokapura, and Siyambaladduwa Pathiranalage Harsha Kumara, 36, of Borella, Colombo.
NewsFirst reported that Dissanayake is the alleged gang member known as “Army Disa” — an alias Ada Derana did not use. Ada Derana said he is wanted over allegations of possessing narcotics and illegal firearms.
Harsha Kumara is described by Ada Derana as a close associate of the organised crime figure known as “Parevi Suda”, and was previously involved in an incident of unruly behaviour at Boossa Prison. NewsFirst did not mention him at all.
After preliminary questioning the two were separated: Dissanayake was transferred to the Colombo Terrorism Investigation Division, and Harsha Kumara to the Colombo South Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau.
Why the UAE deported them
Ada Derana gave a reason for the deportation that NewsFirst did not report. The two had been arrested and held by UAE security authorities after footage was found stored on their mobile phones showing drone and missile attacks launched by Iran against the UAE, including footage of the weapons striking and exploding at their targets.
The outlet did not say what offence that constituted under UAE law, how long the pair were held there, or whether the material had any bearing on the Sri Lankan investigations.
The seizure at sea
NewsFirst reported the allegation against Dissanayake in more detail. Investigators say he played a coordinating role in transporting narcotics and firearms linked to a smuggling operation uncovered in international waters south of Sri Lanka.
The consignment was aboard a vessel intercepted by the Sri Lanka Navy, during which 10 suspects were taken into custody. When the vessel was brought to the Dikovita Fisheries Harbour, officers recovered 600 kilograms of narcotics, eight pistols with magazines, two T-56 assault rifles and one M16 rifle.
Ada Derana did not mention the vessel, the haul or the 10 earlier arrests.
Which unit made the arrest
The two accounts differ on this point. Ada Derana says the arrests at the airport were made by Criminal Investigation Department officers, who then handed Dissanayake to the Terrorism Investigation Division. NewsFirst says he was taken into custody by officers attached to the Police Terrorism Investigation Division directly. The two are not necessarily inconsistent — a handover would produce both descriptions — but no outlet set out the sequence explicitly.
NewsFirst added that Dissanayake is expected to be questioned under detention orders.
Context
The arrests continue a run of returns of wanted men from the Gulf. Sri Lanka took custody of 21 deportees from Dubai subject to Interpol Red Notices in May, and alleged large-scale trafficker Shiran Basik was flown back from Dubai on 14 August. “Kalu Malli” was arrested in Dubai on an Interpol notice on 1 September.
Not reported
Neither outlet said when the Navy interception took place or whether the 600kg haul has been reported previously — LankaNewz has no earlier coverage of a seizure at Dikovita on that scale. Neither gave the date of the pair’s arrest in the UAE, said whether either man has been produced in court, named the detention order’s issuing authority, or reported any response from lawyers for either suspect. Neither man has been convicted, and the allegations remain untested.
