The efforts to bring two hardcore criminals Nadun Chinthaka Wickremaratne alias Harak Kata and Salindu Malshitha Gunaratne alias Panadure Kudu Salindu, who were arrested in an operation by the country’s security forces in Madagascar, to Sri Lanka are being delayed, as the timetable has not been provided
by the relevant airline so far. Police information revealed that since relevant airlines are imposing various conditions for bringing these criminals back to Sri Lanka from Madagascar, bringing them back has been delayed.
These two criminals have to be brought to Sri Lanka in an ordinary passenger plane. In negotiations with the airlines for this purpose, most of those companies have submitted a number of conditions subsequent to making a security assessment. Some airlines have made it a condition that only one criminal can be brought on board on one flight. Also, since the row of seats where the criminal will be seated and the front row of seats have to be left empty of passengers, a condition has been imposed that payment should be made for those seats as well.
A senior police officer stated that they are working to bring these two criminals to Sri Lanka as soon as possible by overcoming this challenge because lawyers appearing for the criminals will report the facts to that country’s court and present arguments based on this and as a result a situation will arise where they will not be able to be brought back.
The intelligence agencies of Sri Lanka have already received information that a law firm in Madagascar has launched an operation to free Harak Kata and others. The money is said to be spent by the person who booked a private jet for Harak Kata and others to travel from Dubai to Madagascar. According to information received by intelligence agencies here, that person is the person who collects money through the Undiyal System from Harak Kata’s drug network in Sri Lanka and he is currently staying in Dubai. This person is a resident of Kandy and information has been revealed that recently he has been residing in Kaduwela Weliwita.
The information received by Sri Lankan intelligence agencies states that the Madagascar security forces were tipped off about this gang including Harak Kata by a head of an opposing drug network of Harak Kata. According to this information received, there was a process in operation, similar to the one in which Makandure Madush was caught by the Dubai Police, behind the arrest of Harak Kata by security forces in Madagascar.
Harak Kata, who was arrested earlier in Dubai, had come to Madagascar in a private jet so as not to create any suspicion. Intelligence agencies also mentioned that Harak Kata was caught in Madagascar the very first time he left Dubai after he was arrested at the airport last year when he was about to go to Malaysia.