News

Retired Major & agent arrested for recruiting SL mercenaries for Russian Army

Published

1 year ago

April 19, 2024

nipuni

The Human Trafficking, Human Smuggling and Maritime Crime Investigation Division (CID) arrested a retired major and an employment agent, identified as leaders of an organized scheme that recruited retired military personnel as mercenaries for the Russian army.

These two suspects were remanded till May 2 upon being produced before Negombo Magistate’s Court yesterday evening.

Investigations have revealed that the agency was promoted by young women, including popular actresses currently featured in well-known television dramas.

It is alleged that they deceived these individuals, promising them employment in Europe with work visas, ultimately defrauding them of significant sums of money.

The arrests occurred at the residences of the suspects in Wariyapola and Digana, respectively.

The arrested Major, previously a member of the Army Special Forces, is identified as Wijebandara and the agent is named Bandula.

According to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), these arrests are part of a broader operation, with additional suspects expected to be detained.

The CID has also uncovered that Chathuranga, who operated a large-scale agency on Katugastota Road in Kandy, is a key figure in this racket. He has reportedly fled to Russia and is currently in hiding.

Further revelations indicate that the recruited ex-military personnel were sent to Russia under the guise of performing maintenance work at military camps, but were instead employed as frontline mercenaries. A retired corporal, who managed to escape from the Russian mercenary force, disclosed that around 500 Sri Lankans are engaged in military activities within the Russian forces. This information led to the arrests of Wijebandara and Bandula.

The investigation has also highlighted that many of those recruited into the Russian mercenary forces from Sri Lanka, particularly from commando and special forces backgrounds, were ostensibly hired for non-combatant roles but were ultimately used in active military operations. According to the escaped corporal, those attempting to flee were either shot or captured and imprisoned.

This same corporal disclosed that his deployment was orchestrated by the retired Major from Wariyapola and that the logistics for his travel to Russia was arranged by Bandula and Chathuranga. The group of 37, including the corporal, departed for Russia from Katunayake International Airport on February 24. They have all retired from military service. The return of the corporal to Sri Lanka on March 1 was facilitated by the Red Cross and the Russian Embassy. He also revealed that two of his companions, who fled with him, have been captured by Russian forces and are currently detained in a military facility.

It has been reported that two Sri Lankans were killed in a drone attack by the Russian army in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on March 8 of the previous year, following the deaths of two others in Russia from an attack by Ukraine.

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

China-South Asia Expo kicks off in Kunming

Published

25 minutes ago

June 20, 2025

editor

The 9th China-South Asia Expo opened yesterday (June 19) in Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
The five-day event is a key platform for economic and trade exchanges between China and South Asia. Exhibitors from over 50 countries are expected to participate, including full representation from all South Asian nations.

This year, Sri Lanka has been designated as the Guest of Honor Country at the Expo.

Notably, China-Sri Lanka bilateral trade reached a record high of USD 5.36 billion in 2024, representing a 13.4% year-on-year increase. This makes Sri Lanka China’s fastest-growing trade partner in South Asia.

The Sri Lankan pavilion was officially declared open by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Trade and Commerce – Wasantha Samarasinghe and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment – Arun Hemachandra, who jointly led the country’s high-level delegation to the prestigious regional event.

News

Showers and strong winds expected in several areas today

Published

1 hour ago

June 20, 2025

editor

Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in the Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (June 20), the Department of Meteorology said.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Fairly strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over the Western slopes of the central hills and in the Northern, North-central, Southern and North-western provinces and in the Trincomalee district.

The general public has been requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

News

International Day of Yoga 2025 marked in all Ayurveda hospitals in SL (Pics)

Published

11 hours ago

June 19, 2025

editor

The Department of Ayurveda, under the Ministry of Health of Government of Sri Lanka and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), the cultural arm of the High Commission of India in Colombo jointly organised International Day of Yoga (IDY) celebrations today (June 19) from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM, across the island.

In a historic first, this IDY event was simultaneously held in 113 Ayurveda hospitals, including teaching and research institutions across all nine provinces of Sri Lanka along with four universities, which also joined this landmark initiative. In addition to this island-wide observance, the main 11th IDY 2025 event will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 6:30 AM at Independence Square, Colombo, organised by the High Commission of India in Colombo. Simultaneous celebrations will also take place in Jaffna, Kandy, and Hambantota, led by Indian diplomatic missions in these regions, further amplifying the spirit of yoga across the country.
The Department of Ayurveda under the Ministry of Health of Government of Sri Lanka is a key government institution responsible for the promotion, regulation, and preservation of Ayurveda and traditional indigenous medicine in Sri Lanka. As part of its ongoing commitment to holistic health and well-being, The Department of Ayurveda promotes Yoga as a vital tool in Ayurvedic healthcare delivery, education and research.

This collaborative celebration with SVCC marks the first time that the entire network of Ayurveda institutions in Sri Lanka participated in the International Day of Yoga, in a unified manner. The SVCC extended generous support by providing yoga mats, instructional books, and curated video contents to all participating centres to facilitate the event.

This island-wide event underscored the growing global recognition of Yoga as a powerful tool for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, while also strengthening the traditional healthcare ties between Sri Lanka and India.

The theme of IDY 2025 “Yoga for One Earth, One Health” reflects the profound connection between individual well-being and the health of our planet. Yoga, as an ancient practice rooted in harmony between mind, body, and nature, promotes a sustainable and balanced lifestyle essential for global health and environmental consciousness. This universal message was powerfully endorsed by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, whose historic proposal at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014 led to the declaration of June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. Since then, Yoga Day has become a global movement, inspiring millions across the world to embrace yoga as a way to cultivate inner peace and collective well-being.