Kehelbaddara Pathme's Assets Under Investigation

 

In a significant crackdown on organized crime, Sri Lanka’s Illegal Assets Investigation Division has frozen assets worth Rs. 50 million allegedly linked to narcotics trafficking and other serious criminal activities. The court-sanctioned move targets properties believed to be owned by an underworld figure known as Mandinu Pathmasiri Perera, more commonly referred to by his alias, "Kehelbaddara Pathme."

According to authorities, the frozen assets include two key properties located in the Udugampola area: a partially completed hotel with six rooms, valued at Rs. 20 million, and an adjoining 20-perch plot of land estimated at Rs. 30 million.

The court order, issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, will remain in effect for seven days starting from October 22, 2025, during which investigators will delve deeper into the origin of the funds used to acquire the properties.

Officials suspect that the assets were purchased using illicit profits from drug smuggling operations and other criminal ventures allegedly led by Kehelbaddara Pathme, a figure long on the radar of law enforcement agencies for his role in organized crime networks.

The Illegal Assets Investigation Division has been directed to submit a full report of its findings to the court. Furthermore, it is expected to seek an extension of the freeze order from the High Court, in order to continue in-depth investigations into the financial trail.

This development marks another step in the government's broader efforts to disrupt the financial infrastructure of organized crime by targeting and dismantling illicit wealth.