By Dubai is a rich city with tall buildings and fancy cars. But it’s also a hiding place for bad guys from the Sri Lankan underworld. Gang leaders live there, far from Sri Lanka, and control drugs and crimes. Why do they go to Dubai? What are Dubai authorities doing? Is it only our gangs? Who are the big names? Let’s see.
Why Dubai?
Dubai is safe for gangsters. Sri Lanka cannot bring them back because there’s no extradition—no agreement to send them home. If a gangster sells drugs or kills someone here, he can fly to Dubai and stay free. Dubai has secret banks to hide money and big houses to buy with cash. For the Sri Lankan underworld, it’s a good place to run away.
It’s also great for gang operations. Dubai is near many countries, so gangsters use its ports to send drugs—like heroin and cannabis—around the world. They plan this from Dubai’s fancy flats. Our police caught 200 kilos of heroin last year, but much more goes through Dubai.
How It Started
Our gangs grew big after the war ended in 2009. Soldiers and police who left joined them. Drugs became their business. Then, in 2022, Sri Lanka had no money—prices went up, people got angry. Gangs grew stronger, selling drugs and taking money from shops. This year, 2025, we had 14 shootings—11 people died. Gang leaders ran to Dubai to stay safe.
What Dubai Does
Dubai authorities sometimes catch gangsters. Last year, they sent back Midigama Ruwan and Manna Ramesh—two Sri Lankan bad guys. They also caught Dinesh Samantha de Silva, called “Babi,” and Dimuthu Chaturanga Perera, called “Samitpura Chathu,” and sent them to Colombo. This shows Dubai can help.
But many stay free. Dubai likes money from gangsters—they buy houses and spend cash. A 2024 list showed hundreds of criminals live there. Some get caught, but not all. It’s hard to get extradition unless other countries push a lot.
Dubai Ignoring Crime for Money
Research says Dubai often looks away from crime because it brings money. A 2024 report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) found gangsters, like drug sellers and corrupt leaders, buy houses in Dubai with dirty cash. This helps Dubai’s real estate grow, and the city gets rich. The Carnegie Endowment in 2020 said Dubai’s weak rules let bad money flow in—leaders don’t check where it comes from because it keeps the Dubai crime hub alive. Transparency International’s 2020 report called Dubai’s system messy, with 39 company registries hiding who owns what. This makes it easy for criminals to stay. A 2022 Financial Action Task Force warning said Dubai needs better controls, but little changes. Why? Gang money helps Dubai’s banks, gold trade, and big projects. Researchers say Dubai catches some small guys but lets big notable mobsters stay for profit.
Other Gangs Too
The Dubai crime hub isn’t just for Sri Lanka. Irish gangs like the Kinahans moved there after a fight in 2016. Their leader, Daniel Kinahan, hides drug money with boxing companies. A Dutch man, Ridouan Taghi, sold drugs from Dubai until 2019. An Italian, Rafael Imperiale, lived there too. Australian and Indian gangsters use it as well. Our Sri Lankan underworld is just one part of it.
Big Names
Some notable mobsters from Sri Lanka in Dubai:
Makandure Madush: Sold drugs from Dubai until caught in 2019. Died in a police raid in 2020.
Kanjipani Imran: Caught in Dubai in 2019, sent back, then ran again. People say he’s there now.
Midigama Ruwan: Drug man, sent back from Dubai in 2024.
Ganemulla Sanjeewa: Used Dubai sometimes, shot dead in a Colombo court this month.
What’s Next?
Sri Lanka is fighting back with he help of Interpol to catch gangs. But 45 gangsters still hide in Dubai. Dubai catches some, but corrupt Duba security personal like their money too. Tourists are scared—visits dropped 5% this month.
This hurts us. A girl died in a shooting in January. A shop man was killed last week. The Sri Lankan underworld makes life hard, and Dubai helps them. It’s a big problem with no easy fix.
