Sri Lanka Police arrests suspected ISIS terrorist coordinator

Sri Lanka Police arrested Osman Pushparaj, a suspect wanted for coordinating the transfer of four alleged ISIS terrorists from Sri Lanka to India, where they were subsequently arrested.

The Police had previously announced a reward of Rs. 2 million for information leading to his capture.

Pushparaj was apprehended in Colombo through a joint operation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) of Sri Lanka Police.

Authorities suspect that the 46-year-old acted as a handler for the four Sri Lankan nationals arrested at Ahmedabad airport in India last week for alleged links to the banned Islamic State (ISIS) organization.

On May 19, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested the four Sri Lankans at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad.

The ATS also seized three pistols and cartridges abandoned at a location in Ahmedabad based on geo-coordinates, as well as a mobile phone from the suspects’ possession.