Significant progress is being made in the investigation into Sri Lankans with links to ISIS and their activities across the country, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
“We cannot divulge information about our findings as it could negatively impact ongoing investigations,” said IGP Tennakoon.
This reply was made in response to a query about the special team appointed by IGP Tennakoon to probe the incident where four Sri Lankan nationals were arrested in India for allegedly having ISIS terrorist connections.
The team has made strides in tracking down other ISIS terrorists in the network to mitigate potential threats. Tennakoon said that the Sri Lankan police have made significant inroads through successful coordination efforts with law enforcement agencies from other countries combatting terrorism.
“We cannot disclose information about what is being done. But the terrorists will have to face the music,” he said.
Police said that they have arrested several local suspects linked to ISIS terrorists following the arrest of four ISIS terrorists in Ahmedabad, India. “We are on their trail,” said IGP Tennakoon.
Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) is questioning these suspects, and the police are in close coordination with the Indian authorities on the investigation.
The four Sri Lankan suspects arrested in Ahmedabad for ISIS links by Indian detectives on May 20 are Mohammad Nusrat (33) of Periyamulla, Negombo, Mohammad Nafran (27) of Grandpass, Colombo, Mohammad Farish (35) of Maligawatte, Colombo, and Mohammad Rashdeen (43) of Colombo 13.
They were arrested in Ahmedabad days after the city airport received a bomb threat. The four belong to the National Thawheed Jamaath organisation, according to reports.
Mohammad Nusrat and Mohammad Nafran had travelled to India 38 to 40 times, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) said. Rasdeen has at least three drug cases pending against him, while Farish also has drug cases against him, police said.
