Underworld figure ’Batuwatte Chamara’ extradited to Sri Lanka

Colombo, May 11 (Daily Mirror) - Manoj Suranga Liyanage, a notorious organized criminal and drug trafficker known as "Batuwatte Chamara," was brought back to Sri Lanka on Sunday night (May 10) following his arrest in Azerbaijan.

The 48-year-old suspect, a resident of the Batuwatta area in Ragama, had been evading authorities for a significant period. Investigations revealed that he had been hiding in Dubai for a long duration before fleeing to Azerbaijan approximately a year ago, where he was eventually arrested.

The repatriation was carried out by a special team of Sri Lankan police officers who had departed for Azerbaijan on May 7. The suspect arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) via India and Dubai at approximately 10:10 p.m. last night.

According to the police, Suranga is a key suspect in several high-profile organized crimes within Sri Lanka. He is allegedly linked to the assault on Thusitha Halloluwa and is accused of providing the firearm used in the murder of "Ganemulla Sanjeewa." Beyond these violent crimes, he is considered a major kingpin in the country’s illicit drug distribution network.

Following his arrival at the airport, the suspect was escorted to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD).