Nepal has deported six Sri Lankan nationals linked to the murder of underworld leader Sanjeewa Kumara Samararathne, also known as Ganemulla Sanjeewa, following their arrest in Kathmandu.

The deportation took place on Wednesday after a special operation conducted in coordination with Nepal Police uncovered that the accused had been residing in rented houses across Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.

According to senior police sources, the deported individuals are Ishara Sewwandi Weerashingha Pinpura Dewage (26), Jeevathasan Kanakarasa (33), Takshi Nanthakumar (23), Dinesh Shyamantha De Silva Kaludara (49), Kenedy Bastiampillai (35), and Dinesh Nisantha Kumara Wikkrama Arachchige (43).

Ishara Sewwandi, the prime suspect in the killing of Sanjeewa inside the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court in Colombo on February 19, 2024, was on Interpol’s red notice list. The notice had prompted Interpol member countries, including Nepal, to track her movements.

A Nepal Police officer said the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kathmandu had shown particular concern over the case, leading to increased surveillance. “The Interpol National Central Bureau at Nepal Police Headquarters in Naxal deployed a special team to locate and arrest the suspects,” the officer said.

Police investigations claimed that all six were members of the notorious Kehelbaddara Padme gang, a Sri Lankan criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking and organised crime from Malaysia and Dubai. Interpol had also issued a red notice against Padme, who was arrested in Indonesia on August 25. Sri Lankan media have reported that Padme was the mastermind behind Sanjeewa’s assassination.

The suspects were found to have been living discreetly in Nepal for several weeks, using false identities and claiming to be Indian nationals. Two of them reportedly entered Nepal by air, while the others are believed to have crossed the border from India by land.

Since none of the suspects had committed crimes in Nepal, authorities coordinated with the Department of Immigration to facilitate their deportation in line with Nepali law.

A senior immigration official confirmed, “They have been fined as per legal requirements and handed over to Sri Lankan authorities under police supervision.”

Interpol officials noted that such cases of Sri Lankan underworld figures seeking refuge in Nepal are extremely rare, adding that coordination between Nepal Police and the Sri Lankan Embassy was crucial in ensuring their swift deportation.