The reprehensible actions of an entity called the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and its network of criminals spanning the globe, including terrorists, militants, jihadists, money launderers, arms and drug dealers, and human traffickers, have caught the attention of intelligence agencies in Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, India, and several other countries. This comes in the wake of investigative reports published by Blitz that have brought to light the scandalous behavior of AHRC officials Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman and Nilantha Ilangamuwa. In the midst of these revelations, Blitz’s investigative journalists have also uncovered initial information about additional members of this nefarious criminal group. Credible sources indicate that Nilantha Ilangamuwa has been collaborating with the infamous D-Company led by terror kingpin Dawood Ibrahim, aiding in the trafficking of drugs to various Western countries through Sri Lankan ports. Notably, Nilantha Ilangamuwa has positioned himself as an official within the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SPA).

Transnational drug trafficking rackets using Sri Lankan ports

Illegal drug trafficking networks operating across international borders have found a gateway through Sri Lankan ports, utilizing them as a conduit for their illicit activities. These transnational drug trafficking rackets employ various strategies to smuggle narcotics, including drugs like cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, into and out of the country, exploiting the ports’ connectivity and maritime trade routes. Sri Lankan ports, due to their strategic geographic location and robust maritime infrastructure, have become attractive targets for these criminal organizations. The vast expanse of shipping lanes and the sheer volume of cargo passing through these ports offer ample opportunities to conceal illegal substances among legitimate goods. This allows the drug traffickers to exploit the complexities of international trade for their nefarious purposes. Criminals involved in transnational drug trafficking often use sophisticated methods to evade detection, ranging from hidden compartments within cargo containers to falsified documentation and covert tracking devices. They exploit weaknesses in port security and customs procedures to slip their illegal merchandise through the checkpoints unnoticed. Sri Lankan authorities, recognizing the urgency of the situation, have been working to strengthen their anti-narcotics efforts and improve security measures at ports. This involves enhanced surveillance, intelligence sharing, and cooperation with international law enforcement agencies to intercept drug shipments and apprehend those responsible for these illicit activities. As the fight against transnational drug trafficking requires a comprehensive approach involving coordination among multiple agencies, international collaboration, and continuous adaptation to the evolving tactics of criminal networks, it is crucial to ensure that Sri Lankan ports remain conduits for legitimate trade and commerce while actively thwarting the efforts of drug traffickers who seek to exploit them for their unlawful gains, and at the same time Sri Lankan intelligence agencies need to launch a comprehensive investigation into covert operations of Nilantha Ilangamuwa

Role of Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company in transnational drug trafficking

Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company has long been associated with various criminal activities, including transnational drug trafficking. Operating primarily from South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan, D-Company has established itself as a major player in the global narcotics trade. The criminal syndicate utilizes a combination of strategies and networks to facilitate the trafficking of drugs across international borders. Key aspects of D-Company’s involvement in transnational drug trafficking include: Networks and routes D-Company has established a complex network of contacts, collaborators, and routes that span across continents. They leverage their connections in different countries to move drugs from production centers to consumer markets. These routes often involve multiple transit points to complicate tracking by law enforcement. Smuggling techniques D-Company employs a range of smuggling techniques to conceal drugs within legitimate cargo shipments. These techniques include hiding narcotics in containers with legal goods, using hidden compartments, altering container documentation, and employing innovative methods to avoid detection during transportation. Maritime routes Given their access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, D-Company utilizes maritime routes to move drugs across borders. These waters provide a conduit for smuggling activities due to the difficulty in monitoring large expanses of ocean. Corruption and bribery Criminal organizations like D-Company often exploit corruption within law enforcement, customs, and port authorities to facilitate drug trafficking. Bribes and coercion can lead to lax inspections or even the direct involvement of officials in the illegal trade. Money laundering The profits from drug trafficking are often laundered through a web of legitimate businesses, both domestically and internationally. This helps the syndicate legitimize the ill-gotten gains and obscure the true origins of the funds. Transnational partnerships D-Company forms alliances and partnerships with other criminal organizations, both within and beyond South Asia, to strengthen their drug trafficking operations. This collaborative approach provides access to broader networks and expertise. Regional conflicts D-Company’s activities are often intertwined with regional conflicts and political dynamics. Their criminal enterprises can be influenced by political affiliations, making them a challenge for law enforcement agencies to tackle effectively. Another prominent figure within the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) criminal syndicate is a person named William Gomes. Operating under the guise of a key correspondent for a website called Sri Lanka Guardian, Gomes has been involved in a range of criminal activities. During the rule of the Islamist coalition government comprising the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) between 2001 and 2006, Gomes managed to obtain a “Press Accreditation Card” from the Press & Information Department (PID) in Bangladesh with the assistance of Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey, then Deputy Press Secretary to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Under the direction of Nilantha Ilangamuwa, the editor of Sri Lanka Guardian, William Gomes posed as a journalist using the aforementioned accreditation card. He established connections with key figures within radical Islamic militant groups such as Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB), Hizb ut Tahrir (HuT), Hizbut Towheed, and the anti-Ahmadiya Khatmey Nabuwat Movement. Furthermore, he facilitated money laundering for several BNP leaders. Coordinating these illegal activities from Hong Kong and Sri Lanka were Nilantha Ilangamuwa, Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, and other members of the AHRC. Following the ouster of the BNP-Jamaat Islamist coalition government in 2007, Gomes and other members of the AHRC network initiated a campaign of propaganda targeting various law enforcement and security agencies in Bangladesh, including the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI). According to an August 2013 tweet by Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the grandson of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the so-called journalist William Gomes threatened Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family with death. Joy posted a screenshot of a tweet that contained a menacing message directed at him and his family.

Self proclaimed human rights activist William Gomes threatens Bangladesh PM and her family with death

— Sajeeb Wazed (@sajeebwazed) August 4, 2013

William Gomes, identifying himself as a correspondent for Sri Lanka Guardian and later as a member of the editorial board of Salem News, engaged in a series of activities that raised concerns. He defended war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ghulam Azam, made derogatory comments about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and supported pro-Caliphate group Hefazat-e-Islam (HeI). Moreover, Gomes openly reacted to the cancellation of Jamaat-e-Islami’s party registration, the conviction of former Jamaat ameer Ghulam Azam, and police actions against Hefazat-e-Islam (HeI). His Facebook page indicated his association with the Italian news agency asianews.it between 2009 and 2011, and he received media coverage from various websites, including Salem News. According to The Daily Star and Dhaka Tribune, in his Facebook post, [Sajeeb Wazed] Joy uploaded a screen-shot of a twitter account at 7:20pm that reads “@sajeebwazed Ask you mom to pack up its time to go For now on she will cook for you everyday. Wish she will end up like your Nanu @EconAsia”. Joy posted a status on his Facebook page, “Self-proclaimed human rights activist threatens PM’s family with death”. The status said “The following is a tweet that was sent directly to me by William Gomes. He claims to be a human rights activist and has been very active spreading false claims of human rights abuses by our Government”. “Today he tweeted me wishing that my mother and family are murdered just as my family was murdered in 1975. This just proves that he does not believe in human rights at all, but is just using the guise to make false claims against us. He is really a terrorist”, Joy claimed. A status of the Bangla version of the same post was also uploaded on his page. Apart from retweeting various issues, William Gomes has openly reacted over the cancellation of Jamaat-e-Islami’s party registration, conviction of former Jamaat ameer Ghulam Azam and police action on Hefazat-e-Islam. He also retweeted posts on a regular basis from some pro-Jamaat IDs, like Basherkella – a Facebook page that propagates and instigates attack on the state to stop the trail of war criminals. He also follows and retweets Islami Chhatra Shibir – the student front of JeI. William Gomes has been identifying himself as a correspondent of Sri Lanka Guardian while later he also began claiming as a member of the editorial board of Salem News. His Facebook page says he worked for Italian news agency asianews.it from year 2009 to 2011, while for the past few years, William Gomes has been given media coverage by a number of websites including Salem News. As part of the AHRC crime network, Gomes wrote a letter on June 1, 2023, through a website called News Ghana, urging Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to impose multilateral sanctions on Bangladesh. Several international media outlets reached out to Blitz seeking further information about the reprehensible activities of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). It may be mentioned here that, prior to fleeing Bangladesh, William Gomes has committed heinous crimes on a number of Christians in the country. One of her victims is Mary Rani Mondol. When Mondol faced persecution from several locals, William Gomes appeared as a savior by falsely pretending as a pastor. For several months, William Gomes forced Mary Rani Mondol to bear all expenses of Gomes and he had sexually violated her on a number of occasions. Later Gomes forcibly married-off Mary Rani Mondol to an elderly Muslim and become his fourth wife. Similarly, a wicked William Gomes has trapped several female members of Christian families in Bangladesh with the false hope of helping them in migrating to any Western country. He not only took substantial amount of money from each of them, all of these unfortunate females fell victims of his sexual lust. According to a source, before fleeing Bangladesh, William Gomes took at least seven million taka from various Christian families with the false promise of getting them UK visas. It’s worth noting that while one of AHRC’s associates, Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, has direct ties to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), an ultra-Islamist terrorist organization, Nilantha Ilangamuwa, a self-proclaimed “high official” of Sri Lankan intelligence, has exploited his current position at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SPA) to assist transnational drug trafficking networks, including Dawood Ibrahim’s notorious D-Company, in smuggling drugs into Western countries. It may be mentioned here that, while one of the AHRC cronies, Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman is directly affiliated to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), an ultra-Islamist terrorist organization, Nilantha Ilangamuwa – a self-styled “high official” of Sri Lankan intelligence has been using his current position at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SPA) in helping transnational drug trafficking rackets, including notorious terrorist Dawood Ibrahim’s infamous D-Company in trafficking drugs into various western nations. It may be further stated that, a complex web of deceit, espionage, and political manipulation has unraveled, exposing a figure operating in the shadows of Hong Kong’s bustling cityscape. Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, previously seen as a human rights activist, has been unveiled as a covert CIA agent managing two websites, humanrights.asia and alrc.asia. These websites present themselves as champions of human rights in Asia, particularly the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), founded in 1984 according to the website. However, further investigation reveals that the domain was registered only on February 17, 2008, and there is no record of the organization prior to this date. Ashrafuzzaman’s websites, humanrights.asia and alrc.asia, present themselves as champions of human rights in Asia. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), as described on the website, was supposedly founded in 1984 by a group of jurists and activists. However, the domain history tells a different story. Registered only on February 17, 2008. And upon investigation, we found no record of the organization prior to this date. Ashrafuzzaman’s association with these websites, both claiming to be human rights watchdogs, masks a larger scheme aimed at manipulating political landscapes in Asia. Despite presenting himself as a champion of human rights, Ashrafuzzaman’s activities suggest a different agenda. The office address listed on the website, located at 52 Princess Margaret Road Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, Hong Kong, along with the telephone and fax numbers, adds to the facade. Both websites are proven to be a one-man show, run by the same set of people, with Ashrafuzzaman at the helm. Further investigation reveals a more sinister connection. Torture Mag, which itself is a casino website operated from Indonesia, is suspected of being a cover for money laundering activities in China. This casino might be a front for Hizb ut Tahrir (HuT), a terrorist organization with a large base in Asia, managed from Indonesia. The organization’s main objective is to fight China over the Uyghur issue, recruiting Uyghur Muslims to wage Jihad against China. A revelation of another connection of Ashrafuzzaman with another illegal casino website surprises us. Ashrafuzzaman’s connections with thecorrectly.com casino and betting business, an illegal entity in Hong Kong, have also been uncovered. This website has been involved in deception worth millions of dollars. Furthermore, the revelations surrounding Nilantha Ilangamuwa, on the other hand, paint a picture of an individual with dubious integrity and ominous motives. These startling disclosures expose a person involved in espionage, scandalous actions, and sinister plots aimed at destabilizing intelligence operations across Asia. Ashrafuzzaman’s recent activities have taken a significant turn, as he has begun to openly support the BNP in Bangladesh, a political party that has found favor with the Biden Administration. This shift in allegiance follows the guidelines set by the CIA, aimed at exerting more pressure on Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami League government. The intention behind this orchestrated pressure is part of a broader strategy to destabilize the current government and position the BNP to attain power in the upcoming general elections in Bangladesh. The collaboration between the CIA and BNP is no secret to those in media circles, and Ashrafuzzaman’s newly adopted role in this political maneuvering is becoming increasingly transparent and critical. Meanwhile, an alarming and threatening maze of activities surrounding Nilantha Ilangamuwa has surfaced. The shadows he casts reveal a man of dubious integrity and frightful intentions. These startling revelations disclose a profile of an individual involved in espionage, scandalous behavior, and nefarious plots, all directed at destabilizing national intelligence operations across Asia. Within 12 hours of publishing a report on the “CIA’s Shadow in Hong Kong: Unveiling the Manipulation of Uyghur Militancy”, Ilangamuwa, a public imposter and self-proclaimed intelligence officer, lashed out at Blitz editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. His vile threats were direct and menacing, “You bloody journalist, I work with Sri Lankan intelligence, and tomorrow morning I’ll send Bangladeshi intelligence to pick you up. You don’t know, I’m a very high official in Sri Lankan intelligence, and I’ve connections with very high officials in Bangladesh and many other countries.” Ilangamuwa’s alarming connections with Jihadis involved in the Easter Sunday Bombing in Sri Lanka in 2020 and his assistance to Islamist militants add another layer of terror to his profile. Moreover, he has actively provided assistance to Islamist militants within Sri Lanka. The layers of his dark machinations became more apparent last year when he orchestrated a dangerous conspiracy against the Indian intelligence agency RAW. Publishing several false reports against RAW, he claimed that RAW had formed a special unit to rescue Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This bogus news was later exposed and debunked by Blitz, forcing Sri Lanka Guardian to remove those false reports and issue an apology. Ilangamuwa’s previous association with the Asian Human Rights Foundation was marred by allegations, including sexual scandals. He was booted out, with Basil Fernando of AHRC labeling him “a congenital liar”. Further scrutiny revealed his fraudulent activities on LinkedIn, claiming to be a “Senior Manager at Sri Lanka Ports Authority”. A high-placed source exposed Ilangamuwa’s links to transnational drug trafficking rackets, exploiting Sri Lanka’s ports for illegal activities. Ilangamuwa’s credibility continues to crumble. His past association with the Asian Human Rights Foundation is stained with allegations including sexual scandals. Fernando’s disdain for Ilangamuwa is clear: “Mr. Ilangamuwa is no journalist at all. He is merely a Cut and Paste maestro. He may perhaps one day claim Cut and Paste Nobel Prize”. Ilangamuwa’s public profile on LinkedIn asserts that he is a “Senior Manager at Sri Lanka Ports Authority.” However, an anonymous source within the Sri Lanka Port Authority has unveiled a chilling reality. Ilangamuwa has been exploiting the country’s economic hardship and his new identity to aid transnational drug trafficking rackets in using Sri Lankan ports for their illegal activities.