T.K.G. Kapila
Dhammika Kumara Ranasinghe, a 52-year-old man, was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on November 8, 2023, after returning from Malaysia. He is accused of orchestrating a massive pyramid scam, defrauding over Rs. 10 billion from thousands of investors.
Ranasinghe, who had been on the run for a year, fled Sri Lanka amid charges of financial fraud. The case had been under investigation at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court before he left the country.
Upon his arrival at the airport, Samudra Surangani, his 42-year-old wife, was also taken into custody. Surangani, who served as the financial director of Ranasinghe’s business, is believed to have managed multiple bank accounts linked to the scam. She was arrested while waiting to receive her husband.
Investigations have revealed that Ranasinghe ran a business school in Kurunegala, where he defrauded over 2,500 depositors. The couple is said to have used a network of 11 bank accounts across three major banks to facilitate the illegal transactions.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has handed the couple over to the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) for further questioning. Additionally, the Illegal Assets Division has initiated a separate investigation into their assets and financial dealings.
This arrest highlights the growing crackdown on financial crimes and fraudulent schemes in Sri Lanka, with authorities continuing to pursue justice in cases involving large-scale financial fraud.