Underworld figure Manoj Suranga Liyanage, also known as "Batuwatte Chamara," a key suspect in the “Ganemulla Sanjeewa” murder case and who was under detention orders following his extradition from Azerbaijan, has been remanded until November 13 after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate's Court.
He was brought back to Sri Lanka on May 10, 2026, by a team of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers following his arrest in Azerbaijan during a coordinated operation jointly conducted by Sri Lanka’s State Intelligence Service and Azerbaijan’s State Security Service.
Upon his arrival, he was handed over to the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) for further investigations.
Following his repatriation, the suspect was taken into custody for questioning and placed under a 72-hour detention order on May 11, 2026, for further interrogation.
The 48-year-old suspect is a resident of Ja-Ela. Investigations have revealed that he maintained close links with several notorious organised crime figures and drug traffickers, including Ganemulla Sanjeewa, Kehelbaddara Padme and Commando Salinda, and was actively involved in narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities, police said.
