Sri Lankan detectives have uncovered that one of the four Sri Lankans with suspected links to ISIS who was arrested in Indian earlier this week, is the son of a notorious underworld don. The four suspects arrested by Indian detectives are:

33-year-old Mohammad Nusrat from Periyamulla, Negombo.

27-year-old Mohammad Nafran from Grandpass, Colombo.

35-year-old Mohammad Farish from Maligawatte, Colombo.

43-year-old Mohammad Rashdeen from Colombo 13.

Iterestingly, 27-year-old Mohammad Nafran has been identified as the son of Niyas Naufer aka ‘Potta Naufer’ the notorious underworld criminal who was sentenced to death for the killing of High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya.

Investigations have also revealed that Nafran dropped out of school, and commenced a business by traveling to India, purchasing clothing material, and returning to Sri Lanka to sell it.

In 2017, Nafran was arrested by Sri Lanka Police for a charge filed under the National Gem And Jewellery Authority Act. In addition, detectives have uncovered that Nafran also frequented India, and Dubai for business.

Four ISIS terrorists were arrested in Ahmedabad on Monday, days after the city airport received a bomb threat. The terrorists – Sri Lankan nationals – were arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad after a tip-off.

Giving details of the operation to arrest the four ISIS terrorists, police said multiple teams were formed after the officials received the information that the suspects were planning to travel to Ahmedabad to carry out terror attacks in India.

Vikash Sahay, Director General of Police, Gujarat, said these four terrorists had boarded an IndiGo flight bound for Ahmedabad from Chennai yesterday.

He said the arrests were made after checking the list of passengers coming from the Southern region and getting their identities confirmed by officials in Colombo.

On May 12, the Ahmedabad airport received a bomb threat email which turned out to be a hoax after security personnel searched the airport complex, but nothing suspicious was found.

The threat email was sent by an unidentified person on the official email ID of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the afternoon, following which the security personnel at the airport scanned the entire airport.

Investigation carried out by the Indian police has revealed more details. Indian Police said the four men “had been in touch with a man named Abu in Pakistan through social media”. Indian Police added that Abu encouraged them to carry out a terror attack in India.

India’s The Hindu reported that the four Sri Lankans who were arrested, belong to the National Thawheed Jamaath organization.

The National Thawheed Jamaath organization is the group that was led by Zaharan Hasheem, who carried out the brutal Easter Sunday terror attacks in Sri Lanka in 2019.

Indian detectives suspect that the group may have been planning to carry out an attack at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which is hosting the IPL games.

The Indian media also reported that the ISIS terrorists planned to assassinate Senior BJP leaders Nubur Sharma, Rajah Singh, and Updesh Rana.

The Indian media reported that details with regard to these plots were uncovered when extracting information from the mobile phones used by these suspects.

Police said after scanning their mobile phones, they found photographs of some weapons and location data of Nanachiloda near Ahmedabad. The Gujarat ATS later recovered three Pakistani pistols and 20 cartridges, as indicated in the photographs, from Nanachiloda area.

Moreover, the ISIS flag also was recovered, and the detained Sri Lankans disclosed that they were instructed to raise the flag after carrying out the attacks.

The Indian Police added that Abu encouraged them to carry out a terror attack in India, and that they were so radicalized that they also agreed to suicide bombing, as the Pakistani resident Abu also gave them 400,000 in Sri Lankan currency.

Police said after scanning their mobile phones, they found photographs of some weapons and location data of Nanachiloda near Ahmedabad.

The security at the Ahmedabad airport has been increased as the four Sri Lankan men have been detained at an undisclosed location.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with Most Rev. Dr. Fidelis Lionel Emmanuel Fernando, the Bishop of Mannar, Diocese of Mannar at the Mannar Bishops House today (16).

Leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya party, MP Udaya Gammanpila says that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is currently in 3rd place among contenders for Presidency and is doing everything possible to improve his position.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe symbolically awarded 442 out of the allotted 5,000 land deeds to the residents of the Mannar district today. This event, part of the ‘Urumaya’ national programme, aims to grant 2 million freehold deeds across the country.

Japan has expressed its willingness to resume stalled development projects in Sri Lanka once the country initiates its debt repayment process, according to Foreign Minister Ali Sabry.

The Sri Lanka Navy has seized over 600 kg of narcotics valued at over Rs. 13 billion during naval operations conducted so far in 2024.

The Provincial Council system will continue in its current form under the National People's Power government until a new system is identified to create harmony among the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today.

Dr. S. Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister of India, is slated to arrive in Sri Lanka on June 20 for an official visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

The chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security Hon. Sarath Weerasekara has stated that an external mechanism has been established in Geneva, Switzerland for past 2 years according to resolution 46/1 in order to collect evidence related to war crimes against those heroes and political leaders who were accused of committing war crimes. He further stated that, in a report recently published by the said mechanism, it has been stated that they have a significant amount of evidence against the military leaders of this country.

Minister Harin Fernando today (14) revealed that an election is scheduled to take place on October 05 this year. He made this announcement during a press interaction in Galle. Expressing confidence in the outcome, Minister Fernando asserted that President Ranil Wickremesinghe would emerge triumphant in the forthcoming election.

Whilst revealing that Russian law allows that country to recruit foreigners to its military in accordance with signed contracts, Sri Lankan foreign Minister Ali Sabry yesterday said the Russian government wants local servicemen and the Sri Lankan government to uphold these contracts they have signed with their foreign employers.

Two young boys drowned while bathing in the sea off the beach close to the Negombo town last evening, Police said. The boys aged 14 and 17 are residents of Negombo.

The Sri Lanka Navy seized a multi-day fishing craft suspected be transporting heroin during a deep-sea operation conducted approximately 400 nautical miles (740 km) south of Sri Lanka.

After the 24-hour postal trade union strike, the United Postal Trade Unions Front (UPTUF) has decided to resume another countrywide trade union action on June 24 if a favorable response is not received from the Finance Ministry, UPTUF convener Chinthaka Bandara said.

The government is set to establish 25 District Industries Promotion Councils covering the entire island in support of local Micro, Small and Medium Industries (MSMEs).

Speculations are raised on whether President Ranil Wickremesinghe is once again on the search for a two thirds majority in Parliament. That is mainly due to media disclosures of recent pro-government discussions held to explore the possibility of holding a referendum in July.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa would have faced the same fate as that of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa if he had been elected as President in 2019, Presidential Advisor Ashu Marasinghe said today.

A group of retired Inspector General of Police (IGP) and retired Senior DIGs yesterday voiced their disapproval of the decision made by former Senior DIG Ravi Seneviratne and former Director of Criminal Investigation Department former SSP Shani Abeysekera to join the National People’s Power (NPP).

State Minister Shantha Bandara has been appointed as the Acting Minister of Mass Media with immediate effect. The appointment was made by the President this evening as Mass Media Minister Bandula Gunawardana has left the country on an official tour.

SLPP National Organizer Namal Rajapaksa cautioned the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil people to be mindful of politicians who change their policies suddenly to grab votes.

Former Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayaka was acquitted from the case filed against him over a financial fraud promising to marry a female teacher in Kandy. The ruling was given by Kandy Chief Magistrate Chamara Wickramanayake.