'Batuwatte Chamara' arrested in Azerbaijan, brought to Sri Lanka

The suspect known as "Batuwatte Chamara" alias Manoj Suranga Liyanage, who is considered a notorious organized criminal and a leading drug trafficker, was brought back to Sri Lanka last night (May 10) after being arrested in Azerbaijan.

This 48-year-old individual, a resident of Batuwatta, Ragama, had been evading security forces and hiding abroad for some time. According to police investigations, he had been hiding in Dubai for a long period and was arrested by security forces in Azerbaijan about a year ago after fleeing there.

A team of special officers from the Sri Lanka Police departed for Azerbaijan on May 07 to bring the suspect back to the country. Accordingly, the suspect, taken into their custody, was brought to Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport via Dubai and India yesterday around 10:10 PM.

He is recorded in police books as a key suspect in several controversial organized crimes that occurred in Sri Lanka. He is accused of assaulting Mr. Thusitha Halloluwa and supplying a firearm for the murder of "Ganemulla Sanjeewa." Additionally, he has acted as a powerful figure in the country's illegal drug distribution network. The suspect, brought to the airport, has now been taken to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) for further investigations.