COLOMBO — Mahinda Kahandagamage, a close associate of the Rajapaksa family who was recently arrested in connection with methamphetamine (“Ice”) trafficking, was part of the Sri Lankan delegation sent to the World Festival of Youth and Students held in Russia in October 2017.
Kahandagamage, who previously identified himself as the Chairman of the Self-Employed Persons’ Association, maintained close ties with Namal Rajapaksa’s Nil Balakaya during the period he was accused of collecting extortion money from Pettah street vendors. His political connections to the Rajapaksa family earned him a slot to participate in the international youth summit in Russia.
Following his arrest over the possession and distribution of “Ice”, several videos circulated on social media revealed his deep ties with prominent Sri Lankan underworld leaders currently hiding overseas. The audio and video recordings show these fugitive gang leaders addressing Kahandagamage by the alias “Dada”.
