International Covert Op Led To Ishara Sewwandi Arrest : Police

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police have secured the second major international arrest within weeks, bringing back a notorious female suspect wanted in connection with multiple murders across the country.

Attorney-at-Law F. U. Wootler, Assistant Superintendent of Police and Police Spokesperson, confirmed that over 40 RED NOTICES have been issued by Sri Lanka Police for fugitives hiding overseas. In 2025 alone, 18 suspects have been successfully brought back to face justice.

The latest arrest was made following a covert operation led by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), with direct intervention from the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

A specialized team was dispatched to Nepal, where they apprehended Ishara Sewwandi, a woman wanted for her alleged role in the February 19, 2025 murder at Courtroom No. 5 in Colombo.

The main shooter was arrested the same day in Chilaw, but Sewwandi had fled the country.

A RED NOTICE was issued, and with the support of Nepalese law enforcement, international agencies, and digital intelligence units, she was tracked down and arrested in a safehouse.

Sewwandi is not only linked to the Colombo courtroom murder but is also suspected of planning multiple assassinations across Sri Lanka.

Alongside her, a man who had been harboring the fugitive was arrested, along with four additional suspects — three men and one woman — all of whom are now awaiting extradition.

“This was a long-term covert operation. We are grateful to the Nepal Government and their law enforcement for the support,” Wootler stated.