Five underworld gang members brought back from Indonesia to be held under PTA

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala yesterday said the five notorious criminals arrested in Indonesia will be detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), enabling the authorities to obtain detention orders and question the suspects.

 The minister told the Sunday Times that although the government planned to repeal the PTA Act soon, the law would be used to detain and question hardcore criminals and crack down on organised crime until a new law was adopted.  

He said the government was finalising a new Organised Crime Act to strengthen legal procedures, and the Justice Ministry was drafting a law that would allow authorities to detain and question organised criminals.  

The five most wanted criminals, were brought back to Sri Lanka last evening.

The Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) was placed under a heavy security cover before the suspects were moved out .

The SriLankan airlines flight, landed at 7.20 p.m, but it took more than two hours to take them  out and brought to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Three of the suspects will be held at the CID while two will be handed over to the Western province (Colombo North) crime division.

Police  described the operation to arrest them as the biggest coordinated operation overseas against Sri Lankan organised crime gangs, five most wanted underworld figures are  Mandinu Padmasiri Perera, alias Kehelbaddara Padme; Commando Salinda; Panadura Nilanga; Lahiru Madushan, alias Thembili Lahiru; and Nirmala Sanjeewa, alias Backhoe Saman, were arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 27.