CrimePoliticsMonday, May 11, 2026

Alleged Drug Kingpin Batuwatte Chamara Repatriated to Sri Lanka

TLDR

Alleged drug kingpin Batuwatte Chamara repatriated May 10.
Arrested in Azerbaijan via Interpol red notice; hid in Dubai.
Now 43rd suspect in murder case, detained 90 days by CCD.

Alleged organised crime figure and drug trafficker Manoj Suranga, widely known as "Batuwatte Chamara", was repatriated to Sri Lanka on the evening of May 10, 2026. Suranga, 48 years old and from the Ragama area, was arrested in Azerbaijan after reportedly hiding in Dubai and then fleeing to the former country. A Sri Lankan police team departed on May 7 to facilitate his return, which involved transit through Dubai and India. His repatriation follows recent arrests of individuals linked to his alleged drug trafficking network, during which crystal methamphetamine and other narcotics were seized.

2 Updates

Update #3\u00b7 May 15 · 3:45 PM

The repatriated individual, identified as Manoj Suranga Liyanage alias 'Batuwatte Chamara', has been named as the 43rd suspect in the Ganeimulle Sanjeewa murder case. On May 15th, 2026, the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) obtained a court order to detain him for 90 days for questioning related to this investigation.

Update #2\u00b7 May 12 · 12:32 AM

The repatriated individual has been identified as Manoj Suranga Liyanage, alias 'Batuwatte Chamara', a 48-year-old resident of Batuwatta, Ragama. He was brought to Sri Lanka on the night of May 10th, arriving around 10:10 p.m., after being flown from Azerbaijan via India. He was arrested in Azerbaijan approximately a year ago based on an Interpol red notice, having reportedly been hiding in Dubai. Upon arrival, he was handed over to the Colombo Crime Division (CCD).

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