Two suspects involved in the shooting and killing of a person in Kolonna earlier this week have been apprehended by Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel, along with the firearms allegedly used in the crime.

The suspects have been arrested near a garment factory in the Middeniya police area by a team of officers of the STF Organised Crime Unit I.

The suspects, identified as Ramanayakage Indika Kumara alias ‘Kale Mahinda’ and Jayawardena Abeysinghe Pathiranage Sandakelum Jayawardena, were arrested while in possession of 02 locally manufactured ‘Galkatas’ firearms, 02 rounds of live ammunition (12-bore), 100 grams of heroin, a motorcycle suspected to have been used in the shooting and 3 mobile phones. 

They have been handed over to the Kolonna Police Station for further investigation.

Meanwhile it has been uncovered that these suspects are close associates of “Rotumba Amila”, a member of an organized crime syndicate who is currently operating a drug network in Sri Lanka from France. 

The shooting victim, S.B. Kimarasena, a resident of Aptanwatte, Aliwadiya, Kolonna, is believed to have been killed in retaliation for a previous assault incident on a relative of ‘Rotumba Amila’.

Further investigations have revealed that ‘Rotumba Amila’ had provided Rs. 400,000 in cash and heroin to the suspects to carry out the hit and that the suspect has maintained close ties with Makandure Madush’s criminal group. 

It has also come to light that the arrested suspects have previous convictions for robbery, assault, and murder, with pending court cases against them.