Makandure Madush kills Ranale Samayan

by Hemantha Randunu

(Translated by Uditha Devapriya)

Nawala Nihal was once known as the Godfather of the Underworld. After the disappearance of Nawala Nihal, Makandure Madush claimed that title.

Two days before Makandure Madush’s assassination, he confessed to the crimes he had committed for over 20 years. The six-hour confession made to a high-ranking official revealed many of the secrets behind many of Madush’s crimes.

Madush’s confession revealed all the details of the attack on the prison bus at Ethanamadala in Kalutara and the murder of seven including Ranale Samayan.

The article is based on excerpts from Madush’s confession.

By 2017, Ranale Samayan’s gang had become a big threat to us. Angoda Lokka always complained that he would be killed off at some point by Samayan.

At the time Angoda Lokka had tried twice or thrice to kill Samayan. But none of those plans proved to be successful. I also wanted to murder Samayan.

Makandure Madush began to reflect on those past events one by one in front of a senior police officer. By 2017, the underworld clashes between the underworld gang led by Ranale Samayan and the group led by Angoda Lokka were escalating. Although Ranale Samayan was being held at the Kalutara Prison then, he managed his underworld gang very subtly with the help of some of the corrupt officials at the Kalutara prison. In return, corrupt officials received large sums of money and gifts. The Kalutara prison was a safe haven for Samayan.

After a moment of silence, Madhush raised his voice again.

Angoda Lokka sent a man inside the Nugegoda court to shoot Samayan. But the work went awry. Samayan was shot but he did not die.

Before Samayan was transferred to Kalutara Prison he was in Welikada. His wife brought him everything he wanted when he was inside. Samayan would definitely be hurt if his wife’s visits stopped abruptly and if she was killed. So I told Angoda Lokka to murder Samayan’s wife.

Angoda Lokka handed over the job to two boys and sent them off to Welikada Prison. But all our plans went astray. The two boys mistakenly shot another woman.

Samayan received information that we were trying to kill his wife. So he wanted to get his own back by planning to kill off my wife who was caring for our disabled child in Makandura. After this incident, I developed a great hatred for Samayan. I made a decision to kill Samayan.

Samayan murdered Harsha, his right hand man.

Harsha Yasas is one of the oldest members of Makandure Madush’s underworld gang. Harsha was the mastermind behind the assassination of Danny Hiththetiyage, the Chairman of the Southern Development Authority, at Madush’s request. Harsha was murdered while at a house in Obeysekerepura in Rajagiriya. Harsha was spending the night at his mistress’s house when two of Samayan’s gang members broke in and shot him dead.

We found out he was tightly protected the day he was brought to court. It was difficult for us to do anything inside court. So I planned to attack him while he was being transported on the prison bus from Kalutara. On the other hand, I wanted to do something that would shake the country, creating a huge demand for our team.

The senior police officer was listening very carefully to Madush’s story. It was clear to the police officer that these confessions of Madush were not lies. He asked Madush about several issues that had arisen at that time.

Who made the plan to attack the Prison bus while Samayan was being transported to court?

Madush replied, looking straight at the senior official’s face.

I planned it sir. Ten or fifteen years ago I was in Kalutara Prison for a while. I was taken to court by the Prison bus. There are large coconut estates on either side of the road leading from Kalutara Prison to the Main road.

About 250 meters from the Kalutara prison, there are large coconut plantations on both sides of the road. No two vehicles can cross at the same time. There were two hills on either side. That location I kept on my mind. I decided that this was the best place from which to attack the bus. In the past, when I was being taken to court from Kalutara Prison, small lorries loaded with coconuts were stopped on this road. They were collecting coconuts from the groves nearby. These lorries were often there. This was also on my mind.

The senior police officer could not even imagine how Madush had planned to assassinate Ranale Samayan. Madush had planned to block the bus by leaving a vehicle loaded with coconuts on this road. The officer was surprised by the crafty intelligence in Madush’s plan.

I planned to attack Samayan and called Angoda Lokka from Dubai. I explained to him the plan to attack the Prison bus.

“Go to Kalutara Prison today. Take a good look at the road leading to the main road from Prison. There are two small hills with shrubs on either side of the road. We need to attack the Prison bus by hiding between these two hills. You have to put a lorry and block the road. If this plan is executed correctly, no one can stop us from killing Samayan.”

Angoda Lokka inspected the location, the narrow road and picked the most suitable place to carry out the attack as instructed by Madush. The plan to attack the prison bus and kill Samayan required a large number of weapons. Although it was problem for Angoda Lokka, finding many weapons at once for the attack was a simple problem for Madush.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find the weapons. On the day Samayan is taken to court, a police guard will also arrive. So there’s a big team here. We have to be ready for anything. Otherwise we will be captured. We must have at least ten T-56 weapons. I’ll sort it out,” said Madush, reassuring Angoda Lokka.

The senior police officer had a problem with how the T-56 firearms were obtained for the attack. Where did those weapons come from?, he asked curiously.

I have friends in the security forces. I borrowed six T-56 weapons from a certain Special Security Division, on the promise of returning the weapons after they have served their purpose.

The police officer was stunned by what Madush said. However, it was clear that the information revealed was not untrue taking into recent developments about corrupt officials. The fact that none of the T-56 assault rifles that attacked the prison bus in Kalutara had been found so far had further inflamed the suspicions of the policeman.

Angoda Lokka got the vehicles for attacking the prison bus ready and I set up some people who were needed for this work. Angoda Lokka and his student of sorts, Ladiya, were ready to lead this attack.

Makandure Madhush had a very good intelligence network. Using his spies, Madusha was able to find out much about what was going on at the Kalutara prison.

A few of the people who work at the prison are good friends of mine. I’m informed about everything. I knew in advance that the bus carrying Samayan to court would not receive a police guard. It made our work easier. The weapons of the jailors were old. We do not have to work hard to get used to them. We did not have to worry about the prison guard.

“Five members of the underworld gang, including Samayan, were due to be produced in court on February 27, 2017. We will complete our plan on the 27th,” I told Angoda Lokka, giving the necessary instructions. “Madush, we will be arrested by the police at some point after this attack. So take us to Dubai after the attack,” Angoda Lokka told me.

I thought if Angoda Lokka came to Dubai, it would create a problem for me. So, I planned to send him off to India. I had a partner engaged in the drug trade in India named Suresh. I entrusted the task of taking care of Angoda Lokka and Ladiya to Suresh. The task of transporting these two to India by boat was handed over to Modara Pukudikanna.

By February 26, 2017, everything needed for the attack was ready. Angoda Lokka arranged a cab and a van to go to the location. At that time Angoda Lokka had seized six T-56 firearms which were allegedly obtained from a high-ranking officer in the security forces. Three of those who joined the attack had received police uniforms. Angoda Lokka also received a police inspector’s uniform.

I talked on the phone with every person assigned for the attack. They were encouraged by my words. Some of the boys were a little scared. I talked to them and motivated them. The underworld thugs including Angoda Lokka and Ladiya were stationed in the area where the attack was planned at around 7.30 am on the 27th.

There were 11 guards for security. They had seven weapons. The two buses were scheduled to leave at 8.00 am. There are five people in the prison bus on the front. I was informed that there were six people on the second bus. I immediately passed all that information to the Angoda Lokka.

A double cab was stopped in the middle of the road blocking it. Five boys were stationed between two hills with bushes on either side of the road. They were prepared to shoot from the sides of the bus. Three men in police uniforms and two other boys were on the road. They were instructed to attack the front of the prison bus.

When the two prison buses left the prison and came along the narrow road, Angoda Lokka and a few boys were blocking the road. The guards must have thought the police were blocking the road. As the two buses approached, our boys were shooting from the front. Within seconds, the boys, who were hiding in the hills on either side of the road, began firing too.

The guards couldn’t do anything. In five or six minutes we were done. Samayan, who had been shot inside the bus, was dragged to the door of the bus. Angoda Lokka put him down and fired a few more shots. One of the shooters showed me all this in a WhatsApp video call. We had no intention of killing any of the prison guard. But it was necessary for the plan to succeed.

Sir, we returned the T-56 weapons after the attack. That’s where our deal ended. That same night Angoda Lokka and Ladiya were taken to India. I was so happy with how the plan turned out, and it relieved me.

Makandure Madush ended his six hour confession in front of a senior police officer. Exactly two days after making this confession, Madush was shot by an unknown gunman.