'Podi Lassy' detained for seven days

An alleged organised criminal figure Janith Madushanka, popularly known as "Podi Lassy," was placed under a seven-day detention order by the Baddegama Magistrate for interrogation.

He was brought to the Galle District Crimes Division for further investigation following his arrival in the country early this morning.

A special team from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) escorted the high-profile drug trafficker and organised criminal back to Sri Lanka after he was apprehended by Indian security forces.

While out on bail and under a court-imposed travel ban, he had fled to India, where he was subsequently arrested by Mumbai authorities on January 16.

Podi Lassie is linked to a long history of violent crime in the South. Following the murder of his father in 2015, he allegedly assassinated the former Chairman of the Rathgama Pradeshiya Sabha, Manoj Mendis, during a party as an act of revenge.

According to criminal records, groups led by him have been responsible for some of the highest numbers of underworld activities in the Southern Province.

His legal history includes an arrest in 2017 for heroin possession. More recently, on December 9, 2024, the Balapitiya Magistrate's Court released him on bail while imposing a travel ban.

He currently faces numerous charges across various courts, including the shooting death of Rathgama Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Manoj Mendis and the triple murder in Kuligoda, Madampé.

Additionally, he is accused of threatening the Secretary of Defense and the Commissioner General of Prisons, among various other underworld activities.