May 04, Colombo (LNW): A man believed to be at the centre of a high-profile contract killing has been extradited to Sri Lanka, following his arrest in Eastern Europe.
Sujeewa Ruwan, widely known by his alias ‘Loku Pattie’, was repatriated from Belarus under tight security arrangements led by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), according to police sources.
Ruwan is suspected of being a principal figure behind the assassination of ‘Club Wasantha’, whose real name was Wasantha Perera.
The fatal shooting occurred in May 2024 and sent shockwaves across the island, drawing renewed attention to organised criminal networks that continue to operate both within Sri Lanka and transnationally.
Following months of international coordination, law enforcement officials succeeded in tracking down and detaining Ruwan in Belarus earlier this year. His return marks a significant development in the investigation, which had so far yielded limited leads amid fears that key suspects had fled abroad.
According to senior police officials, Ruwan is thought to have not only been involved in orchestrating the murder but also may possess crucial information about the funding and logistics behind the hit.
Authorities believe the killing was the result of an escalating power struggle within the island’s underworld, possibly linked to rivalries over territory, illicit trade, and longstanding vendettas.
The CID is preparing to interrogate the suspect in the coming days, with a special investigative team tasked with mapping the broader network of individuals who may have assisted or benefited from the assassination.
The victim, Club Wasantha, was no stranger to notoriety, having built a name for himself as both a nightclub owner and a shadowy figure in the criminal underworld. His murder reignited public concern about the nexus between crime, money laundering, and local political protection rackets.
The authorities have remained largely tight-lipped about the precise nature of Ruwan’s extradition, though sources suggest that Interpol cooperation and bilateral assistance from Belarusian officials played a key role in securing his deportation.
With Ruwan now in custody, investigators hope to uncover further details about the motives, financial backers, and potential co-conspirators behind the killing. Security around the suspect remains high, with intelligence reports indicating that individuals connected to the crime may attempt to interfere with the investigation or silence witnesses.
This development has also prompted renewed calls for the government to take stronger action against transnational criminal networks and to invest in more robust mechanisms for international cooperation in criminal justice.
More updates are expected as the interrogation of the suspect proceeds in the days ahead.
