‘Modara Nipuna’ Brother & Bluemandal Sanka Held in 72-Hour Detention

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police have launched intensive investigations under 72-hour detention orders into two high-profile suspects, including the brother of underworld figure “Modara Nipuna” and the notorious BloemendhalSanka, following their arrest at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake.

Authorities confirmed that the suspects are currently being held under the custody of the Central Crimes Investigations Bureau and the Colombo - North Crimes Investigations Division.

The arrests were carried out after the two individuals were deported to Sri Lanka by security forces in Dubai. 

They were apprehended late at night upon arrival at Katunayake by officers from the CID.

One of the suspects, the 25-year-old brother of “Modara Nipuna,” a known underworld figure, is a resident of Colombo 15. 

Police revealed that his identification had been integrated into the airport’s modern automated facial recognition system since March 2025, enabling authorities to immediately detect and verify his identity upon arrival.

Investigations have uncovered that he has a prior criminal history, having been arrested in 2019 by the Pamunugama Police for possession of cannabis, and again in 2020 under the Modara Police Division for a violent assault involving a club and sharp weapon that caused serious injuries to a victim.

Authorities further stated that an open warrant had been issued against him by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court No. 04 since November 2022.

The second suspect, widely known as Bloemendhal Sanka, is a 40-year-old resident of Colombo 14 and has been identified as a serious repeat offender with alleged involvement in multiple high-profile crimes, including murder and drug trafficking.

Police records indicate that he has faced charges dating back to 2010, including an assault case in Ganemulla and an arrest in Kelaniya related to heroin possession. 

He has also been named as the main suspect in a fatal shooting that occurred in Colombo in 2015.

Further compounding his criminal profile, Bloemendhal Sanka is accused of aiding and abetting a violent attack on a prison bus in Maligawatta in 2016. 

Authorities revealed that he had surrendered to the Terrorism Investigation Division that same year through a lawyer, in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and had later been released on bail after a period of remand custody.

Police investigations also link him directly to a brutal 2018 shooting in the Grandpass Police Division, where a pistol was used in a fatal attack that claimed one life and left three others seriously injured.