Two Men Jailed for Ten Years Over Explosives Cache Linked to Easter Sunday Mastermind Zahran Hashim

Court Hands Down Decade-Long Sentences in Case Tied to 2019 Terror Network

Two individuals have been sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment after pleading guilty to the illegal storage of firearms and explosives at the Lactowatta estate in Wanathavilluwa, Puttalam — a cache that investigators linked to the network of Easter Sunday bombing mastermind Zahran Hashim.

Background to the Discovery

The Wanathavilluwa arms cache was among several discoveries made by security forces in the aftermath of the devastating Easter Sunday attacks of 21 April 2019, which claimed more than 260 lives across churches and luxury hotels in Colombo and its suburbs. Authorities launched an island-wide sweep targeting associates and support networks connected to Zahran Hashim and his extremist organisation, National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ).

The Lactowatta estate find formed part of that broader security operation, raising serious concerns about the extent of the logistical infrastructure that had been assembled in support of the terror plot.

Guilty Pleas Lead to Sentencing

Both accused entered guilty pleas in connection with the charges brought against them, relating specifically to the unlawful possession and storage of firearms and explosives. The court subsequently handed down ten-year rigorous imprisonment sentences to each of the two individuals.

The guilty pleas spared the court a prolonged trial, while prosecutors maintained that the sentencing reflected the gravity of offences directly tied to one of the most catastrophic terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka's modern history.

Continued Legal Proceedings in Easter Sunday Cases

The sentencing represents one of several legal proceedings that have continued to work their way through Sri Lanka's court system in the years following the 2019 attacks. Numerous individuals allegedly connected to Zahran Hashim's network have faced charges ranging from direct involvement in the bombings to the provision of material and logistical support.

Zahran Hashim himself died as a suicide bomber during the attacks, detonating an explosive device at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo.

The case underscores the far-reaching nature of the support network that enabled the Easter Sunday attacks, with arms caches discovered as far afield as the Puttalam district, well beyond the immediate sites of the bombings.

Security analysts and victim advocacy groups have continued to call for full accountability and transparency in all proceedings related to the Easter Sunday attacks, stressing that justice for the hundreds killed and injured remains an ongoing national priority.