The Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Sunday allowed police to hold and question alleged large-scale drug trafficker Shiran Basik for a further 90 days.
The order followed a request from the Central Crimes Investigation Bureau (CCIB), which has been questioning him since he was brought back to Sri Lanka. The bureau had obtained an earlier 90-day detention order on 17 August.
Basik was arrested in Dubai in March and deported to Sri Lanka after legal proceedings there. Officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Airport Unit took him into custody when he arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake on 14 August. After preliminary questioning he was handed over to the CCIB.
During interrogation, Basik reportedly told investigators that Dubai Police stopped and questioned him at a shopping mall while the city was facing Iranian attacks. He said officers checked his mobile phone, found footage of the attacks and arrested him. He said he was then questioned daily over possible links to Iran until he was deported.
Basik also said the authorities in the United Arab Emirates told him to buy his own air ticket to Sri Lanka before they deported him. These are his own statements to investigators and have not been independently verified.
Background
Police said an Interpol Red Notice issued earlier against Basik in connection with a drug trafficking investigation had expired. Arrangements were under way to obtain a fresh notice when he was arrested. A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement agencies around the world to locate and provisionally detain a person pending extradition or similar legal action. It is not an international arrest warrant.
Investigations have found that Basik left Sri Lanka legally for Dubai on 2 June 2018. He reportedly lived an extravagant lifestyle there and operated two large-scale businesses.
The CCIB is the police unit that handles complex and high-value investigations. A magistrate’s order allowing detention for questioning is separate from a charge. Basik has been described by police as a suspect, and no verdict has been given in any case against him.
What it means
The extension means investigators can continue to question Basik for another three months. Sri Lankan police have in recent years brought several suspects wanted in drug cases back from the Gulf, and the outcome of this inquiry may show how far trafficking networks operate across borders.
For Sri Lankans living in the United Arab Emirates, the case is a reminder that deportation and international police cooperation can follow an arrest abroad, and that the Sri Lankan authorities are able to act on suspects who have left the country. Anyone detained overseas can ask for consular help from the nearest Sri Lankan mission.
