Sobanahandi Sanath de Silva, alias ‘Raju’, has been arrested in India in connection with a recent series of murders in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province. He is the brother of notorious organized crime figure Sobanahandi Jayalath de Silva, widely known as ‘Karandeniya Sudda’.
Police investigators say Raju served as the principal triggerman for his brother’s criminal network, personally carrying out all assassination contracts received by Karandeniya Sudda. The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle one of the Southern Province’s most feared crime rings.
What makes the case particularly striking is Raju’s military background. He previously served in the Police Special Task Force, the elite counter-insurgency unit, before transferring to the Army Special Forces. He later deserted the military and turned his specialist combat training to contract killing, operating as the enforcement arm of his brother’s operations.
The arrest in India points to cross-border law enforcement cooperation, suggesting Raju had fled Sri Lanka to evade the murder investigations. Details of the specific Indian jurisdiction and the mechanism of the arrest have not yet been disclosed.
Karandeniya Sudda’s network has long been linked to organized crime in the Southern Province, with authorities previously struggling to secure convictions against key operatives. The capture of his brother and alleged hitman removes a central figure from the organization’s chain of command.
