• Investigation launched after audio recording surfaced on social media

Investigations into an audio recording that went viral on social media on 1 February 2026 in which a group call made by local drug dealers based overseas allegedly issued instructions to their henchmen in Sri Lanka to attack citizens from the UAE who are touring the country have been referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), it is learnt.

Police Media Spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and attorney, F.U. Wootler, responding to questions from The Daily Morning, said yesterday (5) that further investigations into the particular audio recording would be carried out by the CID. 

Police have launched an investigation after an audio recording surfaced on social media, capturing a group phone conversation between four prominent organised crime suspects currently residing overseas discussing their future plans, criminal activities and drug trafficking. The 22-minute conversation reportedly involved the criminals Russel Smith, French Ruban, England’s Kudu Lal and Welle Saranga exchanging ideas and strategies. During the phone call, Smith allegedly made a threatening statement about mobilising local accomplices to target citizens of the UAE arriving in Sri Lanka, due to the treatment of Welle Saranga by the Dubai authorities.

However, the Acting Director of the Tourist Police Division, ASP Prabath Vidanagama, when contacted by The Daily Morning to query as to whether the security for the UAE tourists visiting the island would be beefed up, said that he was unaware of such a threat. He observed that he had not received any information in this regard even from his superior. 

According to reports however, one of the callers within the group had wanted the UAE nationals assaulted while touring the country to avenge him for the alleged ill-treatment that he had received while in the custody of the UAE narcotic authorities.