Search on for VAT scam kingpin

Efforts are currently being made to arrest Kamil Kuthubdeen, the kingpin behind the multi-billion VAT scam who is said to be residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a senior police official said yesterday.

He said Kuthubdeen along with two other Sri Lankans had been involved in the scam between November 15, 2002 and August 15, 2004.

The other two suspects Rasheed Mohamed Mursheed and Nagoor Adumai Mohamed Nazim were brought to the country on Friday night after they were arrested by the Malaysian police earlier on in the week.

Rasheed Mohamed Mursheed was fined Rs. 6.3 billion and sentenced to a 280-year prison term and Nagoor Adumai Mohamed Nazim was fined Rs. 2.4 billion and sentenced to a 100-year prison term, respectively.

The court proceedings had been carried out in absentia since the suspects had already fled the country.