Podi Lassi brought back to Sri Lanka under tight security

Organized criminal and alleged drug trafficker Arumahandi Janith Madusanka de Silva, known as “Podi Lassi,” was brought back to Sri Lanka from India this morning (February 27) by a special police team after fleeing the country in violation of court-imposed bail conditions.

He arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake at 5:55 AM today from Mumbai, India, on SriLankan Airlines flight UL142, according to Police.

After his arrival, he was taken from the airport under tight security and handed over to the Elpitiya Divisional Crimes Investigation Bureau for further investigations.

“Podi Lassi” is a leading suspect wanted in connection with large-scale drug trafficking activities in the Southern Province and several brutal murders reported in the Meetiyagoda and Ambalangoda areas.

In 2024, the suspect went missing after being granted bail by court on December 9, 2024. Although bail was granted, the court had imposed an overseas travel ban until the next hearing date.

However, he violated these bail conditions and fled to India by sea.

It was later confirmed that he had escaped to India, and in January 2025 he was arrested in Mumbai by Indian security authorities on charges of illegal entry into the country.

His arrest followed diplomatic engagement between Sri Lanka and India and was carried out with the intervention of Interpol.

Police stated that due to the direct intervention of the Ministry of Public Security and the Inspector General of Police, the suspect was brought back to Sri Lanka swiftly under a strong operational mechanism.

He was returned through cooperation between the two countries even without the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice.

With this extradition, Sri Lanka Police have so far brought back 14 suspects who had fled overseas and were in hiding. In addition, 29 suspects were returned to the country through international Red Notices during the three years from 2024 to 2026.

Police further said that 89 Red Notices have already been obtained, and several more leading suspects hiding abroad are expected to be arrested and produced before Sri Lankan courts in the future.