A suspect identified as Bombuwala Devage Suranga Sanjeewa Karunaratne, alias “Matiya,” who is alleged to have worked as a gunman for organized crime figure Kehelbaddara Padme, was brought back to Sri Lanka today after being deported from Malaysia.
The 42-year-old suspect, a resident of Yagodamulla, Kotugoda, had been arrested by Malaysian authorities while residing in the country. He was deported to Sri Lanka on Thursday night and arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake at 9:45 p.m. aboard AirAsia flight AK-047 from Kuala Lumpur.
Authorities stated that the suspect had been the subject of an Interpol Red Notice issued by Sri Lankan law enforcement agencies.
Karunaratne faces serious allegations in connection with a deadly shooting that occurred inside the Gampaha court premises on July 22, 2022. He is accused of fatally shooting an organized crime figure known as “Paspodda” and another individual, while also injuring several others present during the incident.
Upon arrival in Sri Lanka, the suspect was taken into custody by officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Following the recording of statements, he was handed over to the Colombo North Crimes Division in Peliyagoda for further investigations.
