By Maheesha Mudugamuwa and Randev Jayasinha
Intense talks at various levels were underway last week in an attempt to bring back notorious underworld leader Samarasinghe Arachchige Madush Lakshitha, alias “Makandure Madush”, from Dubai.
Madush was arrested in Dubai during a raid conducted by the Dubai Police, following information believed to have been provided by the Police Special Task Force (STF).
However, while the STF claims to have been directly involved in the operation to arrest Madush at a Dubai hotel, sources said that there were doubts if the STF was actually present during the arrest.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that diplomatic-level discussions were underway to attempt to and bring Madush back to Sri Lanka to commence investigations over his crimes.
The arrest of the Sri Lanka’s most-wanted drug lord Makandure Madush was electrifying news in Sri Lanka last week.
The drug lord was arrested with 30 others including several organised criminals at a party held at a luxury hotel in Dubai. Among them were the notorious underworld criminals and drug traffickers “Kanji Pani Imran” and “Keselwatte Dinuka”. It was also reported that the suspects were in possession of drugs at the time of the raid. News also made to Sri Lanka that popular local singer Amal Perera, his son Nadimal Perera, actor Ryan Van Rooyen, and several other reality stars were also said to be among them. However, the connection between the drug kingpin and the artists is yet to be probed and affirmed.
It was later reported that there was a diplomatic passport holder among the group arrested by the Dubai Police.
A key cabinet minister was accused of being linked to the diplomatic passport holder. The minister, however, has denied the allegations and called on the authorities to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardena said that the Police was in the process of obtaining information on all those who were arrested in Dubai.
“A total of about 30 people were arrested there, but there is not any information on a diplomatic passport holder. There are various accusations going around claiming that a secretary of a sinister is involved, but that is not true. No one is linked to anyone here,” Wijewardena said.
The Minister also said that diplomatic talks were underway and the two Governments have already come to a mutual understanding about the severity of the issue and the importance of tackling the drug menace.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ravinatha Ariyasinghe also confirmed the ongoing diplomatic talks between the two countries. He said that the foreign missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence, have officially launched the discussions with the Government of Dubai on Thursday (7).
“The diplomatic channels are currently working and we’re exploring all avenues. However, Madush has a red notice anyway. The UAE is naturally quite concerned about this drug involvement. We’re satisfied that the two countries are working towards ensuring that Sri Lankans’ concerns are fully met,” Ariyasinghe added.
Madush Lakshitha fled the country after the murder of Danny Hiththatiya, a former chairman of the Southern Development Authority, in 2006. Information revealed that Madush was the main suspect of the murder and he first fled to India in a boat.
Subsequently, Madush was said to be directed by local underworld leaders “Samayan”, “Kos Malli”, and others from abroad to organise numerous criminal activities in Sri Lanka. He has also been connected to the shooting of Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Inspector Neomal Rangajeeva.
Makandure Madush was also suspected of trafficking large consignments of illicit drugs to the country from abroad and also said to have had links with the LTTE.
The Police and the security forces managed to expose such acts in the past few months. Earlier, Interpol issued notices for the arrest of Madush, who was believed to be hiding in Dubai and directing underworld activities in Sri Lanka.
It was reported that Madush’s arrest in Dubai was not a sudden incident, but was in fact a result of a long-term mission conducted by the STF, together with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
He was not arrested for the offences in Sri Lanka but for possessing illicit, dangerous drugs in Dubai.
According to a tip-off by another gang of Pakistani drug dealers, two police informants were said to have left for Dubai.
The arrest was made during a function held in a hotel in Dubai. However, it was reported that it was the Police informants who had informed the Dubai Police, alleging that Madush and the group were in possession of illicit drugs.
The Dubai Police had also taken blood samples of the group that was suspected to have consumed drugs. However, the Police said that the information was yet to be confirmed.
Search operations
There are various rumours spreading on the arrest. However, Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) Director T.C.A. Dhanapala told The Sunday Morning that the mission was not part of PNB’s narcotic raids.
However, soon after the arrest made in Dubai, parallel raids were conducted by the STF where they searched the houses of those who are in custody in Dubai.
Accordingly, the houses of singer Amal Perera, his brother Shonal Perera, actor Rayan Van Rooyen, and his brother were raided by the STF. It was reported that the STF recovered two empty cocaine pouches from Amal’s house. Meanwhile, the STF had also recovered a digital scale and a bag with a false bottom at Ryan Van Rooyen’s house in Dehiwala.
The STF suspects that the scale and the bag might have been used in drug smuggling. During the raid, the STF has taken the actor’s brother in for questioning.
The Police had also recovered live bullets and several military equipment including army uniforms when they carried out a search operation in the house of Anushka Kavishal, alias “Janga” – an accomplice of underworld drug kingpin Makandure Madush – in Talalla on Friday (8).
The Police said that Janga was arrested in Dubai along with Makandure Madush. Janga has been a wanted criminal in murder cases and robberies.
During the search operation, the Police had found nine army uniforms, two army helmets, 32 T56 live bullets, 11 training bullets, 37 empty cartridges, five SIM cards, a laptop, and several other equipment.
Accordingly, the uncle of Janga had been arrested on the suspicion of possessing those equipment.
Meanwhile, the Police said that they were not able to discover any suspicious objects when they searched the house of Madush in Makandura.
It was further revealed that the investigations into the multiple arrests in Dubai revealed that Madush had spent over Rs. 30 million for the party held in the six-star hotel and had arrived at the event in an expensive limousine.
The absence of an extradition agreement between Dubai and Sri Lanka has made it difficult to request the handing over of the suspect, avoiding arrest or interrogation in Dubai. Even though an extradition treaty exists between Sri Lanka and the UAE, Sri Lankan Parliament is yet to ratify it.
Nevertheless, a senior lawyer said that the Attorney General’s Department has ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption which could seek extradition of suspects.
The convention provides for extradition in corruption cases and that Sri Lanka utilises the provisions in the convention as “applicable”.
However, according to well-informed sources, Madush is said to be an official suspect in only one murder case in Sri Lanka, which is yet to be proved, and therefore it was advisable for the Government to punish him in Dubai rather than bringing him down to the country again.
The drug laws are very strict in the UAE. The sale and trafficking of drugs is strictly forbidden and will result in jail time or worse – death penalty. Presence of illegal drugs detected in blood or urine tests is also counted as possession and one can be prosecuted, fined, and possibly imprisoned for being under the influence of illegal drugs.
Credit game
President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday (8) said that now there were so many people to claim credit for Madush’s arrest in Dubai. Referring to media reports a minister saying they had laid the trap for his arrest for the past few years, the President said: “We must be content with what we have done rather than claiming credit for others' achievements.
We see in the media today so many claims for the success of nabbing the drug dealer who is also an underworld leader.”
Former Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that the arrest was a result of several search operations carried out by the Police and the STF over the last few months, and said the red alert was issued on the suspect since he had travelled to Dubai using a fake passport.
Commending the Department of Police, Minister Sagala Ratnayake said that the high-profile Police Range that combined Organised Crime, Narcotics Range, and STF, which played a critical role in the arrest of Madush, was set up when he was the Minister of Law and order.
“When UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Sri Lanka in 2017, the Prime Minister and I requested his assistance in this regard. The former UAE Ambassador also supported our efforts. I must thank all of them for their consistent support and facilitation,” he added.
In a letter, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also commended the STF Chief DIG M.R. Latheef. However, DIG Latheef was supposed to be retired this year, but the President has extended his term by a year, which President Sirisena said in Parliament that his decision was approved in Cabinet unanimously.
Minister’s involvement
Last week, MP Thenuka Vidanagamage said that the person, who is in possession of a diplomatic passport and was arrested with underworld leader Madush in Dubai, is a secretary of Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera. Meanwhile, MP Dilan Perera at a media briefing said that the issuing of the diplomatic passport was done through a secretary who was with the Minister of Finance.
Also, MP Perera told the media that the people who run the drug smuggling racket are “in the minister's lap”.
However, Minister Samaraweera denied the allegations during the press conference held at his ministry on Wednesday.
In response to the allegations levelled against him, Minister Samaraweera requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct a broad investigation into the allegation that a coordinating secretary of the Minister is among the people who were arrested along with underworld leader Makandure Madush in Dubai.
In a letter to the IGP, Minister Samaraweera has stated that the opposition parties and certain media platforms are trying to sling mud at him, and he has also requested the IGP to investigate who were the politicians who have relations with Makandure Madush and taken him to the airport and helped him to flee the country.
He has also requested the IGP to take necessary steps to obtain the relevant information from the persons responsible for making such statements to the media and from the personnel of media institutions responsible for reporting these false claims.
‘We have been wrongfully accused’
Singer Amal Perera’s brother Sonal Perera said that the allegations against his family were unjust and that they have been wrongfully accused of crimes that they did not commit.
“The Special Task Force and the Police Narcotics Bureau had arrived at our residence yesterday and conducted an extensive search of our home. They overturned the entire house and uncovered no drugs or similar products, but they are basing all their claims on three ziplock bags that they found when going through my brother’s drawers,” Sonal Perera told The Sunday Morning.
He claimed that such ziplock bags had never been used for any illegal activity or wrongdoing but to carry medicine or coins, stating that the state of the three bags that were found were old and degraded.
“It is unfair that the media has pursued these false accusations and produced news stories without having proper information. Ultimately, it is my family that has to face the shame and consequences of these comments and media reports.”
When questioned whether Sonal was taken into custody as a result of the raid in his residence, he denied that such the occurrence of such a thing.
“The media has once again reported false information; I was never arrested or taken into custody. They cannot take an individual into custody for having ziplock bags.”
He further went on to comment on the arrest of his brother in Dubai for allegedly possessing narcotics. He stated that he also got to know about the news from other sources – that his brother was being held in a prison in Dubai for further questioning.
He claimed that the Police, the CID, or any other department for that matter, had not provided them with any information on the case. “We are still unaware of what is happening or has happened to my brother and his two sons,” he stressed.
Sonal stated that his brother Amal had been invited by Madush to Dubai, taking care of all his expenses and lodging, to perform for an event organised by the alleged drug kingpin.
“We weren’t aware of any illegal activities, nor were they involved in any – Amal was just asked to come and perform in Dubai for an occasion. However, it has come to our knowledge that my brother and one other are still under arrest as they have been tested positive for illegal substances.”
He hopes that Parliament or the President will see Amal’s innocence and allow him to arrive to Sri Lanka, to be tried in a Sri Lankan court. A plea letter is already submitted by the family requesting the authorities to look into this case and reconsider the allegations against Amal Perera.
“We still haven’t received a definite answer. Whatever sentence that is passed on my brother, I hope that he is transferred back to Sri Lanka, as he wasn’t on a tour to deal or distribute narcotics, but was a guest who was invited to perform for an occasion in Dubai by the host because of his musical talents, and not for anything else. We hope the authorities will understand this,” he stated.
Intense talks at various levels were underway last week in an attempt to bring back notorious underworld leader Samarasinghe Arachchige Madush Lakshitha, alias “Makandure Madush”, from Dubai.
Madush was arrested in Dubai during a raid conducted by the Dubai Police, following information believed to have been provided by the Police Special Task Force (STF).
However, while the STF claims to have been directly involved in the operation to arrest Madush at a Dubai hotel, sources said that there were doubts if the STF was actually present during the arrest.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that diplomatic-level discussions were underway to attempt to and bring Madush back to Sri Lanka to commence investigations over his crimes.
The arrest of the Sri Lanka’s most-wanted drug lord Makandure Madush was electrifying news in Sri Lanka last week.
The drug lord was arrested with 30 others including several organised criminals at a party held at a luxury hotel in Dubai. Among them were the notorious underworld criminals and drug traffickers “Kanji Pani Imran” and “Keselwatte Dinuka”. It was also reported that the suspects were in possession of drugs at the time of the raid. News also made to Sri Lanka that popular local singer Amal Perera, his son Nadimal Perera, actor Ryan Van Rooyen, and several other reality stars were also said to be among them. However, the connection between the drug kingpin and the artists is yet to be probed and affirmed.
It was later reported that there was a diplomatic passport holder among the group arrested by the Dubai Police.
A key cabinet minister was accused of being linked to the diplomatic passport holder. The minister, however, has denied the allegations and called on the authorities to conduct an immediate investigation into the matter.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardena said that the Police was in the process of obtaining information on all those who were arrested in Dubai.
“A total of about 30 people were arrested there, but there is not any information on a diplomatic passport holder. There are various accusations going around claiming that a secretary of a sinister is involved, but that is not true. No one is linked to anyone here,” Wijewardena said.
The Minister also said that diplomatic talks were underway and the two Governments have already come to a mutual understanding about the severity of the issue and the importance of tackling the drug menace.
The Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ravinatha Ariyasinghe also confirmed the ongoing diplomatic talks between the two countries. He said that the foreign missions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence, have officially launched the discussions with the Government of Dubai on Thursday (7).
“The diplomatic channels are currently working and we’re exploring all avenues. However, Madush has a red notice anyway. The UAE is naturally quite concerned about this drug involvement. We’re satisfied that the two countries are working towards ensuring that Sri Lankans’ concerns are fully met,” Ariyasinghe added.
Madush Lakshitha fled the country after the murder of Danny Hiththatiya, a former chairman of the Southern Development Authority, in 2006. Information revealed that Madush was the main suspect of the murder and he first fled to India in a boat.
Subsequently, Madush was said to be directed by local underworld leaders “Samayan”, “Kos Malli”, and others from abroad to organise numerous criminal activities in Sri Lanka. He has also been connected to the shooting of Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Inspector Neomal Rangajeeva.
Makandure Madush was also suspected of trafficking large consignments of illicit drugs to the country from abroad and also said to have had links with the LTTE.
The Police and the security forces managed to expose such acts in the past few months. Earlier, Interpol issued notices for the arrest of Madush, who was believed to be hiding in Dubai and directing underworld activities in Sri Lanka.
It was reported that Madush’s arrest in Dubai was not a sudden incident, but was in fact a result of a long-term mission conducted by the STF, together with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
He was not arrested for the offences in Sri Lanka but for possessing illicit, dangerous drugs in Dubai.
According to a tip-off by another gang of Pakistani drug dealers, two police informants were said to have left for Dubai.
The arrest was made during a function held in a hotel in Dubai. However, it was reported that it was the Police informants who had informed the Dubai Police, alleging that Madush and the group were in possession of illicit drugs.
The Dubai Police had also taken blood samples of the group that was suspected to have consumed drugs. However, the Police said that the information was yet to be confirmed.
Search operations
There are various rumours spreading on the arrest. However, Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) Director T.C.A. Dhanapala told The Sunday Morning that the mission was not part of PNB’s narcotic raids.
However, soon after the arrest made in Dubai, parallel raids were conducted by the STF where they searched the houses of those who are in custody in Dubai.
Accordingly, the houses of singer Amal Perera, his brother Shonal Perera, actor Rayan Van Rooyen, and his brother were raided by the STF. It was reported that the STF recovered two empty cocaine pouches from Amal’s house. Meanwhile, the STF had also recovered a digital scale and a bag with a false bottom at Ryan Van Rooyen’s house in Dehiwala.
The STF suspects that the scale and the bag might have been used in drug smuggling. During the raid, the STF has taken the actor’s brother in for questioning.
The Police had also recovered live bullets and several military equipment including army uniforms when they carried out a search operation in the house of Anushka Kavishal, alias “Janga” – an accomplice of underworld drug kingpin Makandure Madush – in Talalla on Friday (8).
The Police said that Janga was arrested in Dubai along with Makandure Madush. Janga has been a wanted criminal in murder cases and robberies.
During the search operation, the Police had found nine army uniforms, two army helmets, 32 T56 live bullets, 11 training bullets, 37 empty cartridges, five SIM cards, a laptop, and several other equipment.
Accordingly, the uncle of Janga had been arrested on the suspicion of possessing those equipment.
Meanwhile, the Police said that they were not able to discover any suspicious objects when they searched the house of Madush in Makandura.
It was further revealed that the investigations into the multiple arrests in Dubai revealed that Madush had spent over Rs. 30 million for the party held in the six-star hotel and had arrived at the event in an expensive limousine.
The absence of an extradition agreement between Dubai and Sri Lanka has made it difficult to request the handing over of the suspect, avoiding arrest or interrogation in Dubai. Even though an extradition treaty exists between Sri Lanka and the UAE, Sri Lankan Parliament is yet to ratify it.
Nevertheless, a senior lawyer said that the Attorney General’s Department has ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption which could seek extradition of suspects.
The convention provides for extradition in corruption cases and that Sri Lanka utilises the provisions in the convention as “applicable”.
However, according to well-informed sources, Madush is said to be an official suspect in only one murder case in Sri Lanka, which is yet to be proved, and therefore it was advisable for the Government to punish him in Dubai rather than bringing him down to the country again.
The drug laws are very strict in the UAE. The sale and trafficking of drugs is strictly forbidden and will result in jail time or worse – death penalty. Presence of illegal drugs detected in blood or urine tests is also counted as possession and one can be prosecuted, fined, and possibly imprisoned for being under the influence of illegal drugs.
Credit game
President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday (8) said that now there were so many people to claim credit for Madush’s arrest in Dubai. Referring to media reports a minister saying they had laid the trap for his arrest for the past few years, the President said: “We must be content with what we have done rather than claiming credit for others' achievements.
We see in the media today so many claims for the success of nabbing the drug dealer who is also an underworld leader.”
Former Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that the arrest was a result of several search operations carried out by the Police and the STF over the last few months, and said the red alert was issued on the suspect since he had travelled to Dubai using a fake passport.
Commending the Department of Police, Minister Sagala Ratnayake said that the high-profile Police Range that combined Organised Crime, Narcotics Range, and STF, which played a critical role in the arrest of Madush, was set up when he was the Minister of Law and order.
“When UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Sri Lanka in 2017, the Prime Minister and I requested his assistance in this regard. The former UAE Ambassador also supported our efforts. I must thank all of them for their consistent support and facilitation,” he added.
In a letter, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also commended the STF Chief DIG M.R. Latheef. However, DIG Latheef was supposed to be retired this year, but the President has extended his term by a year, which President Sirisena said in Parliament that his decision was approved in Cabinet unanimously.
Minister’s involvement
Last week, MP Thenuka Vidanagamage said that the person, who is in possession of a diplomatic passport and was arrested with underworld leader Madush in Dubai, is a secretary of Minister of Finance Mangala Samaraweera. Meanwhile, MP Dilan Perera at a media briefing said that the issuing of the diplomatic passport was done through a secretary who was with the Minister of Finance.
Also, MP Perera told the media that the people who run the drug smuggling racket are “in the minister's lap”.
However, Minister Samaraweera denied the allegations during the press conference held at his ministry on Wednesday.
In response to the allegations levelled against him, Minister Samaraweera requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct a broad investigation into the allegation that a coordinating secretary of the Minister is among the people who were arrested along with underworld leader Makandure Madush in Dubai.
In a letter to the IGP, Minister Samaraweera has stated that the opposition parties and certain media platforms are trying to sling mud at him, and he has also requested the IGP to investigate who were the politicians who have relations with Makandure Madush and taken him to the airport and helped him to flee the country.
He has also requested the IGP to take necessary steps to obtain the relevant information from the persons responsible for making such statements to the media and from the personnel of media institutions responsible for reporting these false claims.
‘We have been wrongfully accused’
Singer Amal Perera’s brother Sonal Perera said that the allegations against his family were unjust and that they have been wrongfully accused of crimes that they did not commit.
“The Special Task Force and the Police Narcotics Bureau had arrived at our residence yesterday and conducted an extensive search of our home. They overturned the entire house and uncovered no drugs or similar products, but they are basing all their claims on three ziplock bags that they found when going through my brother’s drawers,” Sonal Perera told The Sunday Morning.
He claimed that such ziplock bags had never been used for any illegal activity or wrongdoing but to carry medicine or coins, stating that the state of the three bags that were found were old and degraded.
“It is unfair that the media has pursued these false accusations and produced news stories without having proper information. Ultimately, it is my family that has to face the shame and consequences of these comments and media reports.”
When questioned whether Sonal was taken into custody as a result of the raid in his residence, he denied that such the occurrence of such a thing.
“The media has once again reported false information; I was never arrested or taken into custody. They cannot take an individual into custody for having ziplock bags.”
He further went on to comment on the arrest of his brother in Dubai for allegedly possessing narcotics. He stated that he also got to know about the news from other sources – that his brother was being held in a prison in Dubai for further questioning.
He claimed that the Police, the CID, or any other department for that matter, had not provided them with any information on the case. “We are still unaware of what is happening or has happened to my brother and his two sons,” he stressed.
Sonal stated that his brother Amal had been invited by Madush to Dubai, taking care of all his expenses and lodging, to perform for an event organised by the alleged drug kingpin.
“We weren’t aware of any illegal activities, nor were they involved in any – Amal was just asked to come and perform in Dubai for an occasion. However, it has come to our knowledge that my brother and one other are still under arrest as they have been tested positive for illegal substances.”
He hopes that Parliament or the President will see Amal’s innocence and allow him to arrive to Sri Lanka, to be tried in a Sri Lankan court. A plea letter is already submitted by the family requesting the authorities to look into this case and reconsider the allegations against Amal Perera.
“We still haven’t received a definite answer. Whatever sentence that is passed on my brother, I hope that he is transferred back to Sri Lanka, as he wasn’t on a tour to deal or distribute narcotics, but was a guest who was invited to perform for an occasion in Dubai by the host because of his musical talents, and not for anything else. We hope the authorities will understand this,” he stated.