News
“Wan shang hao”: Big shock awaited Li as he was wheeled into SriLankan flight
A video grab of Mr. Li (centre) being taken to court after he was arrested for travelling with a forged passport
The passengers due to board a SriLankan Airlines UL 884 flight from Colombo to Guangzhou were being readied. Those with disabilities had been moved into the aircraft.
One of them was in a wheelchair and wore sunglasses. As he was wheeled in, he was taken into custody. The passenger was Li Pan. Those who arrested him were officials of the Chinese government.
That was how Li Pan, a wanted man in China over a 2019 drug-related crime, was deported to China on Thursday under special security arrangements.
Mr. Li was unaware of what awaited him at the Bandaranaike International Airport and was under the impression that he was being deported to Dubai in keeping with his request. It was only after he boarded the flight at 5.35 p.m. that he learned that he was being deported to China. Awaiting his arrival was a female security official. “Wan shang hao,” she greeted him, meaning good evening in Chinese, just when his sunglasses were removed by another security official.
A team of Chinese security officials including two women had already been seated in the plane posing as passengers and they were quick to restrain Mr Li. A shocked Mr. Li tried to free himself and in the process toppled over with the wheelchair to which he was handcuffed. The flight crew also helped the Chinese officials to restrain him.
The Chinese suspect arrived in Sri Lanka on May 18, using a forged passport from a West African country, Guinea. He later produced a Chinese passport. He was released, however, after State Minister Arundika Fernando sent a letter to the Immigration Controller General. The minister requested that Mr. Li be permitted to “embark (sic) without hassle” by using his genuine Chinese passport. This was while the Immigration officials checked with Interpol and confirmed that the Guinea travel document to be a fake. Later Mr. Fernando claimed two Chinese companies, both with the same registered address at R.A. de Mel Mawatha, Colombo, interested in a housing project in Sri Lanka, had sought his intervention to release Mr. Li.
State Minister Arundika Fernando claims two project companies sought his intervention
The Chinese embassy, said Mr. Li was wanted in China for a drug-related crime. It also requested that he be not sent to another country as it was making arrangements to deport him to China.
Subsequent to the story making national headlines, the suspect was arrested, produced in court and kept in custody at the Welikada Intermediate Detention Centre.
Also playing a part in the deportation operation were officials of the Immigration and Emigration Department.
At the Welikada Detention Centre, officials had told him he was to be deported but had not given any indication that he would be deported to China.
The officials made arrangements with the airport security officials for the vehicle transporting Mr. Li to directly reach the departure terminal. They handcuffed him to a wheelchair and placed a cloth over it to avoid attracting public attention. They made him wear a pair of sunglasses while he was rushed through the counters all the way to the boarding area at the last moment.
Earlier, the Chinese suspect had petitioned the Court of Appeal seeking an order nullifying the Immigration and Emigration Controller General’s decision to deport him to China.
The petition was rejected last Monday by a bench comprising Justices Bandulla Karunaratne (Court of Appeal President) and Ashan Marikkar.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!