Sobanahandi Sanath de Silva, alias “Raju,” has been brought back to Sri Lanka after being arrested by Indian security forces, NewsFirst reported on Saturday.
Raju, who was in the custody of Indian authorities, was returned to the island on the night of April 17. He is the brother of Sobanahandi Jayalath de Silva, known as “Karandeniya Sudda,” a prominent leader of an organized crime syndicate operating in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province.
Indian security forces arrested Raju in New Delhi earlier this month after he travelled there from Dubai. He had been wanted in Sri Lanka in connection with a series of murders in the Southern Province, where he allegedly served as the principal enforcer for his brother’s criminal network.
Raju previously served in the Police Special Task Force and Army Special Forces before deserting the military and turning his specialist training to contract killings on behalf of the syndicate.
His repatriation marks the completion of cross-border law enforcement cooperation between Sri Lankan and Indian authorities. The case demonstrates the growing reach of bilateral security arrangements in tackling transnational organized crime networks operating across South Asia.
