Mandhinu Padmasiri Perera appears in court following extradition

Mandhinu Padmasiri Perera, known as ‘Kelabaththa Pathme’, and suspect Kudu Nilanga appeared in the Colombo Magistrate's Court for the first time following their extradition from Indonesia to Sri Lanka.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reported that Padmasiri has maintained close ties with 13 prison officials, citing evidence from recovered mobile phone data. Investigators also claimed to have found photographs and conversations involving nine politicians.

Padmasiri and other gang leaders were arrested in Indonesia and returned to Sri Lanka on August 30 last year. The CID presented evidence from eight seized mobile phones, noting that while data had been deleted, they successfully recovered information regarding 8,841 calls, 326,671 photographs, 1,101 audio recordings, and 5,039 videos. The suspects are linked to organized crime, including drug trafficking and several murders.