Two associates of former LTTE hireling arrested
(Courtesy of The Island)
The Special Task Force (STF) hunting for the confederates of Samarasinghe Arachchige Madush Lakshitha alias ‘Makandure Madush’, arrested two persons aged 23 and 26 in the early hours of Friday, in Colombo. The STF identified the suspects as members of a gang led by Pukuti Kanna, who had been involved with Colombo North crime bosses and, now, a friend of Madush.
Madush is believed to be operating from Dubai.
A senior STF officer told The Island that the suspects, both residents of Fergusan Road, Colombo 15, were involved in in the narcotic trade and various other crimes. “They were captured at Thotalanga. We recovered two swords and a grenade. They didn’t resist arrest.”
The suspects would be detained for a period of seven days on a detention order, police headquarters said.
The official described the younger person as the right hand man of Pukuti Kanna, believed to be a close associate of Madush. Another source said that Pukuti Kanna, too, had fled the country and was likely to be operating from India.
The STF handed over the suspects to the Organized Crime Investigating Division.
Kanna had worked for the LTTE during the war and was believed to be in touch with a person, tasked with high profile clandestine operations in Colombo, authoritative sources said. The 23-year-old suspect in custody, joined Kanna after the conclusion of the war in 2009, and was involved in running his illegal ventures for several years. Based on available intelligence and other information, sources asserted that Kanna had direct links to the LTTE rump overseas, the AWA group and the Colombo underworld.
Sources said that Kanna’s group could be in touch with some of those ex-LTTE cadres.
Sources said that Kanna had been known to Kimbula Ela Guna, who fled to India years ago following the revelation that the Colombo North underworld bosses had prior knowledge of the LTTE attempt on wartime President Kumaratunga’s life in late Dec 1999.
Sources said that an Interpol Blue Notice, too, had been issued on Madush, whose associates carried out a spate of attacks on rivals on the instructions received from overseas. Sources said that the Interpol was in the process of issuing a Red Notice. A Red Notice has already been issued on Kosgoda Sujeewa, believed to be in Dubai.
The police stepped up operations, targeting Madush after his men on the orders received from abroad attacked prisons department vehicle outside Kalutara prison killing seven, including a prison officer on Feb 17, last year. The dead included another underworld gangster Aruna Udaya Shantha Pathirana alias ‘Samayan’.
Madush is also wanted over last year’s attack on a group of Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officials, at Piliyandala.
558 Viewers
