How Kanjipani Imran escaped in Malaysia just as he was about to be caught

A Sri Lanka Police team, operating under the direct supervision of Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya, recently launched a special operation with the assistance of Malaysian security forces. Although the main objective of this operation was to arrest Kanjipani Imran, a leader of an organized crime gang, he had fled the location before the police teams arrived.

However, with the assistance of Malaysian police, Dhanushka Kaushalya alias 'Rathmalane Saima', a key associate in his drug network, and several of his followers were arrested. The police are currently making arrangements to swiftly bring Saima back to Sri Lanka.

Several media outlets reported on this incident, and the Lankadeepa newspaper also revealed information about it. However, there was a minor error in those reports, identifying the main suspect arrested as 'Rathmalane Roha'. Rathmalane Roha, or Devamuni Haral Rohana de Silva, was killed in a shootout with the police on September 23, 2020, in Kochchikade, Negombo, while attempting to flee to India. Regardless of the veracity of that shootout, both Saima, who was arrested, and the deceased Roha had previously acted as associates of underworld leader 'Kudu Anju'.

Saima, who fled to Malaysia about 10 years ago, initially worked as a close associate of 'Kudu Anju' alias Amal, who is currently hiding in France. However, based on information received from Kanjipani Imran that Anju was planning to assassinate him, Saima separated from Anju and joined Imran's camp. Since then, Saima has been in charge of Imran's financial administration, the money laundering process of sending money to local bank accounts through the Undiyal system, social media operations, and the restaurant network maintained in Malaysia and Thailand.

Kanjipani Imran's escape, the main target during the operation, cannot be considered a mere coincidence, and there is serious suspicion that information regarding the Sri Lanka Police team's arrival and raid plans was leaked prematurely. While it is difficult for such an international-level escape to occur without the complicity of corrupt officials within the security forces, the idea that information was leaked from the police is merely a suspicion, and other reasons could also exist. Several complex factors could have contributed to this, such as outdated location intelligence, Imran frequently changing his hideouts, Saima and Imran staying separately, delays in obtaining Malaysian legal authorization, the use of other fake documents or routes, notifications received from a local crime network following Saima's arrest, or the news being leaked through information shared by some police officers with journalists.

Facebook pages like 'Rajaliya Intelligence Investigations', which reveal underground information, have uncovered another serious matter regarding this network. According to such pages, which, although not considered traditional sources, have a history of revealing internal underworld conflicts in advance, Kanjipani Imran and Unakuruwa Shantha, among others, were preparing to hold a conspiratorial discussion in Malaysia to assassinate the current President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with Saima providing financial and logistical support for it. It is essential to thoroughly question Saima regarding this accusation, which poses a threat to national security, and conduct a comprehensive investigation.

Saima is not merely a criminal but also the psychological social media operator responsible for building Kanjipani Imran's fearsome image. He was also responsible for disseminating the alleged voice recordings released by Imran, threatening the Basnayake Nilame of the Devundara Devalaya during a dispute concerning Kavadi groups in the procession, and the voice recordings released by 'Dehibale Malli' in response. This dispute ultimately ended with a shooting at a house located 200 meters from the Devundara Devalaya, which is a prime example of how criminal gangs used social media as a battlefield.

To completely suppress this network, investigations must be conducted through international financial investigation units regarding Saima's restaurants and Undiyal money transfers, as well as those who provided information to Imran and intervened to remove Saima's red warrants. Furthermore, he should be extensively questioned about the Nanuoya Saji murder that occurred about 10 years ago, the distribution of Ice (methamphetamine) through Kegalle and Polgahawela, and the importation of Kush and cocaine through the airport. These investigations must be conducted systematically, especially in light of allegations that law enforcement is less likely to act on the original crimes committed by underworld members after their arrest (for example, Nadun Chinthaka was indicted for escaping from the CID, not for his main crimes).

Kehelbaddara Padme, an organized criminal connected to this drug network, is also currently being questioned under detention orders by the Criminal Investigation Department. Although Saima's arrest is a significant achievement, the operation will not conclude until Kanjipani Imran, who escaped, demonstrating loopholes in the legal system, is apprehended. The local police team is continuing extensive investigations with the Malaysian police to arrest him.