Authorities have confirmed that 15 of the 82 Sri Lankans wanted under Interpol Red Notices for murder and other serious crimes are currently residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a senior police officer.
UAE security agencies have informed Interpol of the presence of these individuals and are closely monitoring them, Dinamina reported, citing the senior officer.
Among them is Lalith Kannangara, a notorious drug trafficker linked to organized crime, who was arrested by Dubai police in October.
Efforts are underway to extradite Kannangara to Sri Lanka; however, the process has been delayed as he has filed an appeal with the UAE Supreme Court. According to the officer, legal proceedings could take at least four months to conclude.
He also confirmed that a Sri Lankan legal representative has already travelled to Dubai to assist with the case.
