Police inquiries have linked more than 48 murders in the Southern Province to the criminal network of organised crime suspect Sobanahandi Sanath de Silva, alias “Karandeniye Raju,” and his elder brother “Karandeniye Sudda,” Senior DIG of the Central Criminal Investigation Bureau (CCIB) Ranmal Kodituwakku said.
The named victims include a lawyer and his wife in Akuregoda, a doctor in Karandeniya, a public health inspector in Elpitiya, Police Inspector Balenndrasinha in Ratgama, and a prison superintendent and a jailer. DIG Kodituwakku said Raju’s arrest in India and repatriation marked a major breakthrough, adding that several planned killings had been prevented following his detention.
A revolver and 15 rounds of ammunition believed to have been used in several of the killings were recovered by the Central Criminal Investigation Unit from a house in Midigama belonging to Raju. The recovery follows the earlier seizure of a Russian-made 9mm pistol and ammunition buried in his garden, which police previously identified as the network’s first physical link to military-grade firearms.
DIG Kodituwakku said Raju had allegedly carried out the killings on the instructions of his elder brother, “Karandeniye Sudda,” who remains at large. The suspect is being held under a 90-day detention order issued under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and is under intensive interrogation, with police saying further revelations on multiple crimes are expected.
The investigation is being conducted under the supervision of Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya and directed by DIG Ranmal Kodituwakku, DIG Jayasiri Kodituwakku and Senior Superintendent of Police Kamal Ariyawansha. The Karandeniye Sudda network has been a focal point of the police’s Rata Ekata anti-narcotics operation since October 2025.
Source: The Island.
