Sri Lanka Police Arrest Handler of 4 ISIS Suspects Detained in India

Post by: Raman Preet

Sri Lankan Police have made a significant breakthrough by arresting Pushparaja Osman, 46, the alleged handler of four Sri Lankan nationals detained at Ahmedabad airport in India for suspected ISIS links. Osman was apprehended by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo on Friday. 

Recently, Sri Lanka Police had announced a cash reward of Rs. 2 million for credible information leading to his capture. They had also issued a wanted notice and released a video appealing to the public for help in locating him. 

Osman is believed to have been in telephone contact with the four individuals arrested in India. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad had detained the four Sri Lankans, who had flown from Colombo to Chennai on an Indigo flight on May 19. These arrests were part of a broader investigation into possible ISIS activities in the region.

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Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa stated that while the investigation is ongoing, authorities have not yet confirmed the four suspects' links to ISIS. "Whether they promoted ISIS ideology in Sri Lanka is still to be established," he said.

This investigation is part of a larger effort by Sri Lankan authorities, launched last month, to scrutinize the activities of the four Sri Lankans arrested in Gujarat. The urgency of this investigation is heightened by the memory of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, which killed over 270 people. Authorities are keen to ensure no repeat of such incidents and are investigating whether the local jihadi group responsible for the attacks had links to ISIS.

Among the arrested individuals in Gujarat is Mohammed Nusrat, a businessman dealing in telecommunications and electrical equipment, which he imported from countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai. He operated his business in Colombo.

Another suspect, 27-year-old Mohammad Nafran, is identified as the son of Niyas Naufer, a notorious criminal sentenced to death for the murder of High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya. The other two suspects are Mohammad Faris, 35, from Maligawatte, Colombo, and Mohammad Rashdeen, 43, from Colombo 13.

Faris, who worked as a cart puller in Pettah, had been previously arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division on March 11 and November 1, 2023. His close associate, Hameed Amir, was arrested by the Terrorist Investigations Division on May 21. Faris left for Chennai on May 19.

Rashdeen, a three-wheeler driver, is suspected of being involved in trafficking crystal meth, also known as ICE. He had been arrested by the Foreshore Police on September 16, 2022, but was later released on bail.

The Sri Lankan authorities are taking no chances with potential ISIS activities on the island, reflecting a determined effort to prevent any future terror attacks.

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