Two days after arresting four Sri Lankan nationals suspected to be ISIS operatives, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) Wednesday said that all the accused have been previously booked in gold and drug smuggling cases.

The four accused have been identified as Mohammad Nusrath (33), Mohammad Faris (35), Mohammad Nafran (27) and Mohammad Rasdeen (43). The suspects were allegedly plotting to carry out terror attacks at the behest of a Pakistan-based handler, the ATS said on Monday.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Gujarat ATS SP Sunil Joshi said that Nusrath has been earlier apprehended twice at the Mumbai airport for smuggling of gold. He also has cases registered against him over assault and alleged narcotics offence in Sri Lanka. “Similarly, Faris has offences pertaining to narcotics in Sri Lankan jail and was arrested and Rasdeen too has been arrested for theft and three drug-related offences. While Nafran has not been arrested, he has confessed that he has smuggled gold and drugs from Dubai and Sri Lanka in the past.”

He added, “Faris and Rasdeen visited India for the first time. While Nushrath has visited India nearly 38 times between 2022 and 2023 and Nafran has visited India nearly 40 times, surprisingly despite their frequent travels, it is their first time travelling to India after coming in contact with their handler in February,” Joshi added. Teams have now been formed to investigate the details of their past visits to India.

The ATS had found three pistols and 20 cartridges at Nana Chiloda, allegedly linked to the operatives who were purportedly instructed to collect the arms and then stay at a “normal, low profile, budget hotel” by their handler, one person identified as ‘Abu’, according to the police.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Police on Wednesday said a senior deputy inspector general will head a team appointed to probe four of its citizens arrested in Ahmedabad. “A senior deputy inspector general-headed team has been appointed by Inspector General Police Deshabandu Tennakoon,” police spokesman and senior superintendent Nihal Thalduwa told PTI.

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.