-By LeN Southern Province Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -13.July.2025, 11.20 PM) A mystery shrouded in chrome, horsepower, and political whispers has gripped Sri Lanka’s south after authorities uncovered a secret stash of 21 ultra-high-capacity motorcycles—brands like Harley-Davidson and BMW—worth more than Rs. 250 million (£635,000), hidden inside a bird feed warehouse in the heart of what was once the Rajapaksa stronghold: Hambantota.
The revelation has sent shockwaves across the island. These vehicles, illegal to import and banned for use on Sri Lankan roads, were allegedly smuggled and stored within the premises of the Nagarewewa Bird Sanctuary—a surreal backdrop to what officials describe as a textbook example of organised, white-collar smuggling under the guise of agriculture.
The key questions now dominating public discourse: How did these prohibited motorcycles enter the country? Who truly owns them? And was this a private collection gone rogue or something more sinister involving powerful political networks?
The Central Crimes Investigation Bureau (CCIB), acting on a tip-off received by Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya, launched a coordinated raid on July 12. The motorcycles were discovered hidden inside a bird feed storage unit located within the government-leased Hambantota bird sanctuary premises.
Footage released from the scene—some of it never seen before until today—shows a glistening row of powerful motorcycles in pristine condition. Experts say each bike is valued at over Rs. 10 million, with models typically reserved for Western luxury markets and track racing—making them entirely unfit, and indeed unlawful, for Sri Lanka’s public road network.
The discovery adds another chapter to Hambantota’s colourful and often controversial recent history. Once earmarked by the Rajapaksa family for lavish development projects—including a Chinese-built port, an underused airport, and vanity sports arenas—this latest twist reveals a private appetite for opulence that may have continued long after the fall of their political empire.
Following the raid, two individuals were arrested on-site: the manager of the bird sanctuary’s animal farm and the warehouse caretaker. Both were presented before the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court on July 13 and have been remanded until July 25. A travel ban was also imposed on the registered owner of the warehouse.
Police sources suggest the two men were not the masterminds but custodians acting under the instructions of unnamed higher-ups. The authorities are now attempting to trace the paper trail—import logs, shipping routes, Customs records—all of which have so far yielded disturbingly little. In effect, the motorcycles appear to have vanished into Sri Lanka without a trace.
Senior police officers have confirmed to The Times that the vehicles were not declared through the Sri Lanka Customs and that no legitimate import licenses or duty payments exist in connection with them.
“This is not a case of personal imports gone wrong,” said one senior officer close to the investigation. “This is systemic smuggling, potentially linked to political actors and networks that feel they are above the law.”
The plot thickened further when law enforcement officers also discovered four cannabis plants illegally cultivated within the same compound.
"This wasn’t just a bird sanctuary—it was a front," remarked an investigator who spoke under the condition of anonymity. "Whether for smuggling, drug cultivation, or elite hideaways, Hambantota seems to be the preferred postcode for those who think the rules don't apply."
Public sentiment has echoed that concern. Activists and social media watchdogs have raised questions about whether politically connected individuals are behind the operation, possibly with ties to the previous regime. Hambantota remains symbolically intertwined with the Rajapaksa dynasty, and the use of such a state-influenced space for illegal activity has ignited calls for a parliamentary probe.
So far, no individual or company has come forward to claim ownership of the bikes. Insiders within the Department of Motor Traffic confirm that none of the 21 motorcycles are registered locally—neither as road vehicles nor as non-road legal track equipment.
This has led some to speculate that the stash was part of an illicit collection, potentially assembled by a collector with immense wealth and political immunity. Others suspect the bikes were intended for resale through Sri Lanka’s underground luxury market, a niche but increasingly active segment that caters to wealthy elites eager to bypass taxation and regulation.
Inquiries have also been launched into whether any Customs or BOI (Board of Investment) officials were complicit in allowing the smuggling operation to pass undetected. Given the scale of the operation, it is unlikely such a movement of goods could occur without official blind eyes being turned—or worse, deliberate complicity.
On social media, the story has gone viral. Hashtags like #SuperbikeScandal and #HambantotaHoard have dominated trending lists, as citizens question how many other such caches may exist—and who in the government, past or present, might be protecting them.
Transparency International Sri Lanka has called for an independent investigation, warning that Sri Lanka’s post-crisis credibility is being tested. “After the economic collapse of 2022, citizens were promised a new culture of accountability. If we can’t even identify the owner of 21 smuggled superbikes, then we are not serious about rule of law,” the organisation said in a statement.
With President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s government pushing a strong anti-corruption agenda, this case presents a litmus test. Can his administration go after smuggling networks allegedly protected by former political titans?
So far, officials have publicly vowed to pursue the matter "regardless of rank or influence," and Police Chief Priyantha Weerasuriya has directed the CID to coordinate with INTERPOL to trace international links, if any.
“We will trace every chassis number. Every shipment. Every Customs entry—or its absence,” said Police Media Spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa.
The President’s Media Division declined to comment on the case directly but reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency.
If nothing else, the discovery offers a surreal window into Sri Lanka’s hidden elite class—those with enough money and clout to import luxury machines no one can legally ride, and hide them inside a wildlife sanctuary while the rest of the country grapples with inflation, power cuts, and austerity.
It also presents a brutal contrast. As the average Sri Lankan contends with petrol queues and skyrocketing food prices, somewhere in Hambantota, someone quietly amassed a secret fleet of million-rupee superbikes, tucked away behind birdseed and cannabis.
Until now.
By LeN Southern Province Correspondent
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