Organised crime boss Sobanahandi Sanath de Silva, alias “Karandeniye Raju,” will be detained for 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for continued questioning, police confirmed.
The extended detention order takes effect as Raju’s initial 72-hour detention, imposed after his repatriation from India, expires today. The PTA detention permits authorities to hold a suspect without charge for extended periods to pursue questioning in connection with serious offences.
Raju was apprehended by Indian security forces in New Delhi after travelling there from Dubai, and brought back to Sri Lanka on Saturday night, April 18, following a request by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) through Interpol.
He is the brother of another notorious organised criminal known as “Karandeniya Sudda” and is considered one of the country’s most wanted suspects. Police said 15 warrants had been issued against him by courts across the island, alongside 26 separate overseas travel bans. An Interpol Red Notice had also been in force for his arrest.
Police said Raju is a primary suspect in numerous grave crimes, including contract killings and arms trafficking, with criminal operations that spanned Mitiyagoda, Karandeniya, Elpitiya and Galle.
The use of PTA in this case reflects the severity of the alleged offences and allows investigators a longer runway to gather evidence and file charges.
