Pushparaja Osman : Sri Lanka Police arrest wanted ISIS handler in India

Following the recent apprehension of four ISIS suspects from Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat, a suspected handler has been arrested in Colombo, Sri Lanka, police confirmed on Saturday.

The arrested individual, 46-year-old Pushparaja Osman, was taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sri Lanka Police on Friday.

According to police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa, Osman is believed to have been in communication with the four individuals detained in Ahmedabad. A cash reward of ₹2 million had been announced for information leading to Osman’s arrest, with a ‘wanted’ notice issued against him.

While it is yet to be confirmed if the four suspects are directly linked to ISIS, authorities are investigating potential ties to the extremist group and the promotion of its ideology within Sri Lanka.

Following the tragic Easter Sunday bombings in April 2019, which resulted in the loss of nearly 300 lives, law enforcement agencies in Sri Lanka have been vigilant in addressing potential security threats.

Details on the Suspects

The four individuals have been identified as Mohammad Nusrat, Mohammad Nafran, Mohammad Faris, and Mohammad Rashdeen.

Nusrat, a businessman operating in Colombo, specializes in selling telecommunication and electrical equipment imported from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai. Nafran is the son of a deceased underworld criminal involved in the killing of a High Court judge.

Faris works as a cart-puller, while Rashdeen is a three-wheeler driver suspected of having connections to crystal meth trafficking.

(With inputs from PTI)