DroneGate | Nalin Bandara Defends Drone Imports, Says It Was a Permit Issue

COLOMBO (News 1st); The political storm surrounding Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Nalin Bandara intensified on Monday (9) as the parliamentarian broke his silence over the now widely discussed "DroneGate" controversy, insisting that the shipment at the centre of the dispute was intended for a legitimate family business and not brought into the country unlawfully.

What began as a Customs intervention at Bandaranaike International Airport has rapidly evolved into a national political controversy, drawing in the Criminal Investigation Department, the Ministry of Defence, the Opposition leadership and questions over national security, Customs regulations and parliamentary accountability.

At the centre of the debate are 39 drones and 16 microphones that were taken into the custody of Customs officials after Bandara arrived in Sri Lanka from Singapore. While critics allege the imports breached regulations and deprived the state of revenue, the MP maintains the issue originates solely from an outstanding approval from the Ministry of Defence.

Explaining his position, Bandara said the equipment was imported for a company operated by his son and wife, which is engaged in the rental and sale of camera drones.

"We have a family business. My son and my wife are directors of a company involved in the rental and sale of camera drones. This is a business my son started himself. We brought in a quantity of drones and microphones for that business through the Katunayake Airport," Bandara said.

According to the MP, the company already possesses approvals from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission and the Civil Aviation Authority, with the only missing approval being from the Ministry of Defence.

"The company owned by my son possesses the necessary approval from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC). In addition, it also has approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka. The only issue was that the required approval from the Ministry of Defence had not been obtained," he said.

Bandara also rejected allegations suggesting the equipment had been smuggled into the country or concealed from authorities.

"Another misconception is being spread that we attempted to bring these goods into the country without declaring them. That is not what happened. We presented the items to Sri Lanka Customs for clearance. During the clearance process, when the required permits were checked, Customs found that the approvals available were not sufficient and therefore issued me with a notice to temporarily hold the goods."

He further claimed that the Customs notice itself indicated that approvals from the Ministry of Defence, Civil Aviation Authority and the TRC were pending verification, adding that most of those documents had since been presented.

"The only approval that remains outstanding is the one from the Ministry of Defence, and we have been asked to submit it," he said.

Bandara emphasized that the microphones contained in the shipment had already been released and argued that Customs would have confiscated the items outright had there been any attempt to evade the law.

"There is a false impression being created that we attempted to import goods without clearance or that these were somehow smuggled items. It is only after goods are presented for Customs clearance that such a notice is issued," he said.

As speculation mounted online over the purpose of the drones, Bandara also moved to distance the equipment from military applications.

"When people hear the word 'drone', various opinions begin to emerge. Some are portraying this as though these are drones intended for some kind of attack. When people talk about drones today, they think of drones being used in Russia, Ukraine, Iran or Israel."

"These are not that type of drones. These are small commercial drones. You cannot bring 30 or 40 large military-style drones inside passenger luggage or baggage. These drones were imported solely for my son's business."

His defence, however, has done little to calm criticism from the Joint Opposition, which has accused the MP of abusing parliamentary privilege and called on SJB leader Sajith Premadasa to explain what action will be taken against one of his own parliamentarians.

Joint Opposition Co-Convenor Niruksha Kumara alleged that the incident raises serious concerns not only about taxes but also about how the drones were paid for and imported.

"Customs seized these items because they were allegedly brought into the country without obtaining the required permits from the relevant institutions and without paying the duties due to Customs," he said.

Kumara questioned whether the financial transactions connected to the imports complied with existing regulations governing foreign currency transfers and argued that the circumstances merited a full investigation.

He also raised concerns regarding national security.

"We are talking about nearly 40 drones. Bringing such equipment into the country requires approval from the Ministry of Defence. If they were brought in without those approvals, was there some other purpose behind it?" he asked.

"Therefore, we ask whether there is a national security dimension to importing 40 drones without informing or obtaining approval from the Ministry of Defence. Could these drones have been intended for some disruptive activity or even an attack? When all these events are considered together, serious concerns arise regarding these drones that were allegedly brought into the country without the knowledge of the relevant authorities."

The controversy has now moved beyond political debate and into the hands of investigators.

Authorities have decided that future investigations into the alleged importation of drones without the required approvals will be handled by the Criminal Investigation Department, acting on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police.

At the same time, the Ministry of Defence is expected to conduct its own assessment into the nature and status of the drones involved.

According to information released so far, Customs officials took custody of 39 drones and 16 DJI Mic Mini kits after Bandara arrived from Singapore aboard SriLankan Airlines flight UL307.

The shipment is reported to have included 27 DJI Lito X1 drones, eight DJI Lito 1 drones and four DJI Neo 2 drones.

Bandara has maintained that the equipment was intended for a company owned by his son. Based on prices listed on the company's website, the total value of the drones and microphones exceeds Rs. 8 million.

Adding another layer to the controversy, reports have claimed that a Civil Aviation Authority licence cited in connection with the company had expired on April 4 this year.

The incident has also revived memories of previous cases involving lawmakers and Customs violations. In 2023, MP Ali Sabry Raheem was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport after allegedly attempting to bring a consignment of gold into the country illegally. His parliamentary services were subsequently suspended for a month.

With the CID now entering the picture, the Ministry of Defence preparing its own review and political pressure mounting on the SJB leadership, the questions surrounding the drone shipment are unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

The Joint Opposition alleges that the importation of drones into the country by SJB MP Nalin Bandara and his wife while evading taxes was a fraudulent act carried out through the misuse of parliamentary privileges.

The Joint Opposition is questioning what action , Sajith Premadasa, the leader of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya, will take against his party MP, who they claim brought drones into the country in a manner that not only deprived the state of tax revenue but also potentially posed a threat to national security.

For now, Nalin Bandara insists the matter is a regulatory issue involving a family business. His critics, meanwhile, insist it is much bigger than that. The investigation now underway will determine which version stands up to scrutiny.