Five major underworld figures, including Kehelbaddara Padme, deported to Sri Lanka

Five key organized criminals and international drug traffickers were brought back to Sri Lanka this evening (August 30) after being arrested recently in Indonesia.

The suspects are identified by their underworld names as Kehelbaddara Padme, Commando Salintha, Backhoe Saman, Panadura Nilanga, and Thembili Lahiru.

They were apprehended in Jakarta on August 27, 2025, during a joint special operation conducted by a Sri Lanka Police team in collaboration with the Jakarta Police and with the assistance of INTERPOL.

A special police team from Sri Lanka was dispatched to Indonesia this morning (August 30) to take custody of the suspects from Indonesian authorities. The team, together with the suspects, boarded SriLankan Airlines flight UL-365 from Jakarta, which landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake at 7:20 PM today.

The suspects were flown under tight security, and special arrangements were in place inside and outside the airport during the operation. The arrested men are expected to be escorted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under heavy security after brief detention at the airport.

At BIA, Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasooriya, Police Spokesman ASP F. U. Wootler, and several senior officers from the Police, Special Task Force (STF), and CID were present to oversee the process.

Notorious organized criminal Mandinu Padmasiri, alias Kehelbaddara Padme, and his gang members Commando Salintha, Backhoe Saman, Thembili Lahiru, and Panadura Nilanga were among those arrested. Along with them, a woman and a small child were also taken into custody in Indonesia.

However, Indonesian authorities deported the woman and child to Sri Lanka last evening (August 29), as no serious criminal charges were filed against her. Upon arrival, she and her child were taken into CID custody, and the CID has since begun questioning her.

The woman has been identified as the wife of Backhoe Saman.

The arrests and deportations were carried out under the supervision of Western North Crimes Division ASP Rohan Olugala and CID ASP Mahinda Jayasundara, with the support of Indonesian police and INTERPOL.

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