Notorious Sri Lankan drug kingpin Nadun Chinthaka alias “Harak Kata” and his accomplice Salindu Malshika Gunaratne alias “Kudu Salindu” have been arrested in Madagascar, foreign media reported.

According to L’Express, a leading media network in Madagascar, six other individuals – including a Malagasy woman who claims to be the wife of “Harak Kata” and her father – were also arrested alongside the two criminal figures, wanted for drug trafficking, arms trafficking and murder.

The suspects were taken into custody at the Ivato International Airport in Antananarivo, Madagascar on March 01 while trying to fly out of the country.

The arrests were made in a joint operation conducted by the National Central Bureau (NCB) of the INTERPOL, the law enforcement authorities of Madagascar and Customs officials.

L’Express reported that five of the Sri Lankan arrestees had landed in Nosy Be on a private jet on February 12. The group had later travelled to Antananarivo on a domestic flight the following day.

After staying at two hotels in Ivato and Ambohimangakely, the eight suspects had arrived at the airport in two luxury cars. The gendarmes (paramilitary police officers in France or French-speaking countries) had recognized and arrested them with the help of the red notices previously issued by the INTERPOL.

The two luxury cars and the mobile phones of the suspects were also seized by the Madagascar law-enforcement authorities. Further, a sum of Malagasy Ariary (MGA) 32 million found on the woman who claimed to be the wife of “Harak Kata” was also confiscated.

“Harak Kata” who operates his drug syndicate in Dubai, Malaysia, Singapore, Seychelles, the Maldives and Madagascar was previously arrested at the Dubai International Airport in August 2022.