Police have launched an investigation into the illegally acquired assets of about 30 organised criminals, leading to the confiscation of several high-value properties and vehicles linked to notorious underworld figures.
According to police, among them 28 perches of land valued at around Rs. 50 million in Kehelbaddara, Gampaha, and believed to belong to underworld leader Kehelbaddara Padme, were recently seized. Several other illegally acquired properties tied to another underworld figure known as Loku Patti have also been identified.
The seized assets are to be produced in court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for further legal proceedings, police said.In a related operation, the Northern Province Division of the CID seized two luxury buses belonging to ‘Backhoe Saman’, who was recently arrested in Indonesia and repatriated to Sri Lanka.
One of the buses, used by a private company in Katunayake to transport employees, was taken into custody at its premises, while the second — operating on the Moneragala–Colombo route — was taken into custody from the Pettah private bus terminal while awaiting departure.Investigations have revealed that both vehicles are registered under other individuals’ names to conceal ownership of Backhoe Saman.
by Norman Palihawadane 