Immigration Officer Remanded for Aiding Fugitive Crime Boss in Passport Scam

COLOMBO (News 1st); Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela ordered the remand of Aruna Sampath Rupasinghe, an Assistant Controller at the Department of Immigration and Emigration, over allegations of aiding a notorious underworld figure in obtaining a renewed passport.

Assistant Controller at the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Aruna Sampath Rupasinghe, was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and produced before court on suspicion of facilitating the renewal of a passport for Kehelbaddara Padme, a wanted organized crime suspect currently believed to be hiding in Dubai.

According to CID officers, the suspect is accused of assisting in the issuance of a new passport for Padme despite the individual not being physically present at the time of application—an act that violates standard immigration procedures.

Investigators further revealed that Padme’s previous passport had expired on November 9, 2024, and that Rupasinghe had allegedly intervened to ensure its renewal through unauthorized means.