In a dramatic turn, five of Sri Lanka’s most feared organised criminals, captured in Jakarta, are now being detained for 72 hours under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), marking one of the country’s most high-profile crackdowns on cross-border crime.
The five organised criminals arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia, are being detained for 72 hours under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, police confirmed.
They are currently being held at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Western Province North Crime Division for intensive questioning.
The suspects, Kehelbaddara Padme, Commando Salintha, Panadure Nilanga, Backo Saman, and Thembili Lahiru were apprehended in a joint operation involving the Indonesian Police, Interpol, and the Sri Lanka Police.
This coordinated international effort has been hailed as a major step in disrupting transnational criminal networks that have long plagued Sri Lanka’s underworld. Officials say the use of the PTA underscores the seriousness of the charges, as the suspects are linked to organised crime, drug trafficking, and violent racketeering.
The arrests have sent shockwaves across both Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan diaspora, with authorities promising that this is only the beginning of a larger offensive against underworld syndicates operating at home and abroad.
