Organised crime figure and alleged drug trafficker Lalith Kannangara alias “Bus Lalith”, who was deported to Sri Lanka from Dubai, has been placed under a 72-hour detention order for questioning.
Police say preliminary questioning has already uncovered significant information, including details of several murders allegedly carried out under his direction.
Bus Lalith was arrested in Dubai in October 2025 during a joint operation involving the Sri Lankan and Dubai police.
Following his arrest, he challenged his detention before a Dubai court, claiming that his arrest was unlawful. The court rejected the appeal, after which Dubai authorities proceeded with his deportation to Sri Lanka.
A team comprising Senior Superintendent of Police Kamal Ariyawansa, an officer from the State Intelligence Service and an officer from the Criminal Investigation Department travelled to Dubai to bring him back to Sri Lanka.
Dubai police handed Bus Lalith over to the Sri Lankan police at the airport on last night (24), and he was brought to Sri Lanka on a SriLankan Airlines flight at around 5 a.m. today (25).
He was initially questioned by officers attached to the CID Airport Unit before being taken for further investigations.
Police suspect that six people were killed in five separate incidents allegedly carried out on Bus Lalith’s instructions.
According to information disclosed during preliminary questioning, a businessman was allegedly killed by a gunman known as “Buru Moona” on December 18, 2022, over an alleged failure to pay extortion money.
Bus Lalith also reportedly told investigators that Wajira Nishantha, who had allegedly helped him secure employment as a bus conductor, was killed on September 30, 2024, following an alleged dispute over extortion payments.
Investigators are also probing the killing of Mudunkotuwage Don Shantha alias “Bana Manthri” in 2025.
According to the information disclosed, Bana Manthri had allegedly provided Bus Lalith with the telephone numbers of five businessmen from whom extortion money was subsequently demanded.
Police are investigating allegations that Bana Manthri later shared the same contact details with a rival organised crime group, leading to his alleged killing.
Bus Lalith reportedly told investigators that “Manna Roshan” and one of his associates were killed on Christmas Day in 2023, allegedly because Roshan had continued to disclose information concerning the group.
He also reportedly disclosed that one of his own extortion collectors was killed after allegedly collecting more money from victims than the amount instructed by him.
Following the preliminary questioning, Bus Lalith was taken to the Central Criminal Investigation Bureau for further investigations.
Police have now obtained approval to detain and question him for 72 hours.
Authorities say his organised crime network had been particularly active in the Meepe and Padukka areas, where several businessmen had reportedly left the areas due to alleged threats and intimidation.
