Alleged organised-crime figure and drug trafficker Batuwatte Chamara (Manoj Suranga) has been repatriated to Sri Lanka after being arrested in Azerbaijan, Ada Derana confirmed on the evening of May 10. A Criminal Investigation Department team had flown to Azerbaijan on May 7 to facilitate the handover, and escorted him back on a flight that transited through Dubai.
The repatriation corrects earlier reports that had placed the arrest location in Dubai. His return flight arrived via the UAE, which led to initial confusion over the country of arrest. He has now been brought back to Sri Lanka as of the evening of May 10.
The repatriation marks a significant step in the Sri Lanka Police campaign against the network attributed to Batuwatte Chamara, who has been a recurring target of narcotics enforcement operations. He has been the subject of a long-running international tracing effort.
The development follows a Special Task Force raid last month in which three suspects linked to his trafficking network were arrested. STF officers seized 25 grams and 400 milligrams of crystal methamphetamine (“Ice”), undisclosed cash, and 70 narcotic pills during that operation.
The case feeds into the Rata Ekata anti-narcotics drive, under which more than 156,000 arrests and large heroin and Ice seizures have been recorded since October 2025. Charges and remand proceedings are expected to follow now that Batuwatte Chamara is in CID custody in Colombo.
