Court approves 90-day detention order to probe underworld figures under PTA

Wednesday, 3 September 2025 00:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Court has granted permission to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to detain five alleged underworld figures for 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

The suspects identified as Backhoe Saman, Thembili Lahiru, Kehelbaddara Padme, Commando Salinda, and Panadura Nilanga were among a group arrested in Indonesia in a joint operation by Jakarta Police and Sri Lanka’s CID.

They were brought back to Sri Lanka last Saturday and are currently being interrogated over their alleged involvement in organised crime. Of the five suspects, three are currently held in CID custody, while the remaining two are in the custody of the Western North Crime Division.