News
STF nets more criminals with arms and drugs
By Saman Gamage and Pradeep Kumara Dharmaratne
Raids conducted by the STF commandos, on Saturday and Sunday, helped net 10 underworld characters and a haul of firearms along with stocks of heroin.
The STF, on Saturday (25), raided an underworld weapons factory at Imbulana in Rathnagala, Ruwanwella and seized a haul of arms and ammunition.
A person suspected of operating the weapons factory was arrested by the STF.
The raiders recovered three 12-bore shotguns of foreign origin, two 12-bore locally manufactured guns, a galkatas, a T-katas, which can use T-56 ammunition, a pistol, a revolver, a cache of explosives and paraphernalia and tools used to manufacture firearms.
Police said that the weapons factory had been used to produce weapons for underworld gangs and repair them.
Investigations revealed the weapons factory had been in operation for a long time.
The suspect along with the firearms and explosives were handed over to police for further investigations.
The suspect is a 52-year-old resident of Ruwanwella.
During a separate raid at Meetiyagoda, STF commandos nabbed three underworld figures, including a close associate of Makandure Madhush with a firearm, ten bullets and 1.5 kilos of heroin. He is known as Meetiyagoda Podi Sudu.
During a raid conducted at Boralesgamuwa by another team of STF commandos, six heroin peddlers who distributed the banned substance in the Boralesgamuwa, Horana and Mirihana areas were nabbed.
The STF also caught two confederates of the underworld leader known as Welle Suranga at Mutwal with a stock of heroin.
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dr. Harini Amarasuriya is on an official visit to Paris, France to participate in the high-level segment of the International Expert Conference on ’An Integrated and Sustainable Approach to Safeguarding the World Heritage Property of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka and Associated Living Heritage’ which was to be held at UNESCO Headquarters today [Tuesday 1 April], with the participation of the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay.
The Conference, organized by UNESCO in partnership with Sri Lanka, brings together leading international experts to discuss sustainable strategies for the conservation of Anuradhapura, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of immense cultural and historical significance.
On the sidelines of the Conference, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet senior interlocutors of the French Government to discuss bilateral cooperation and areas of mutual interest.
The Delegation of the Prime Minister includes the Minister of Buddhasasana Religious and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) BUNGO and ETAJIMA arrived at the port of Colombo on a goodwill visit this morning (01 Apr 25).
The visiting ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with naval traditions.
The 141m long JMSDF BUNGO is an Uraga-Class Minesweeper Tender commanded by Commander TANAKA Koji and the ship is manned by a crew of 125.
Meanwhile, JMSDF Etajima, a 65-meter-long Minesweeper, is under the command of Commander Oda Takayuki and operates with a crew of 54 personnel.
During the stay in the island, crew members of the ships will explore some tourist attractions within the city of Colombo. The ships are scheduled to set sail from Colombo on 04 Apr.
“You and your families will be eliminated”
By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randun
A full-scale investigation has been launched to track down an underworld character, ‘Navy Dinesh,’ a key accomplice of Ganemulle Sanjeewa, for issuing death threats over the phone to three police officers, including the Gampaha HQI, Crime Branch OIC, of the same police station, and others.
Navy Dinesh is believed to have fled the country.
According to police sources, threats were issued following the arrest of Navy Dinesh’s father and brother in connection with a drug trafficking case.
Phone analysis reports have confirmed that the calls originated from Dubai and France.
Following the murder of Ganemulle Sanjeewa, Navy Dinesh assumed leadership of the underworld gang he had previously been involved with.
Navy Dinesh contacted the Gampaha HQI, the OIC of the Crime Branch, and the investigating police constable, and threatened to kill them and their family members. “You and your families will be eliminated,” he said.
A special police team had been assigned to investigate the matter, and a report has been submitted to the courts, police sources said.
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