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| Sunday, 14 December 2003 |
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Killers target tea trade executives Crime Sunday by Jayampathy Jayasinghe The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) has taken over the investigation into the shooting incident of a Managing Director of a tea company in Peliyagoda. He was critically wounded when two assassins opened fire at the Maradana traffic lights when his car came to a halt recently. Several bystanders who were present below the overhead bridge near the Maradana Railway station had seen two men fleeing in a three wheeler. The victims life was saved as he was rushed to the Accident Service ward in the nick of time, police said. OIC Maradana Police, Chief Inspector Ranjit Maligaspe said the victim is still warded at the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital Colombo and his statement has not been recorded yet. "It was obvious that the killers had followed him and shot him when the car stopped at the traffic lights. The victim was shot four times with a 9 mm. calibre pistol. " he said. The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) Director, SSP Sartha Lugoda who took over the investigation from Maradana police said that the victim had taken 11 minutest to arrive at Maradana from Peliyagoda. The assassin too had stalked him all the way from Peliyagoda. "This was a professional job undertaken by hired killers and we have no clue as to who is responsible for it. This is a new type of crime we are investigating," Lugoda said. Senior DIG Colombo, Sirisena Herath has instructed the Director, Colombo Crime Division, SSP, Sarath Lugoda to probe into the mysterious circumstances where top experts from the tea trade have been targeted by assassins. Police have been instructed to keep a close tab on companies that purchase bulk tea from the Colombo Tea Auctions. In fact this was the second occasion where two top executives of companies have been shoot within a period of three weeks. Nobody knows the motive for targeting top executives of the tea trade. Is there a move to destabilise the Colombo Tea Auction to create economic havoc in the country by some organisation? Or has a trade war erupted between rival companies engaged in the tea trade which has resulted in these shootings? Has somebody threatened these executives to buy low quality teas at the auctions.? Police will have to find answers to these perplexing questions if they are to solve this case. According to police the two executives have been buying top quality tea for their companies at the Colombo Tea auction. Both men were top professionals who did not have enemies. According to Police, those who supplied inferior quality teas at the Colombo Tea Auction would have suffered enormous losses which must have triggered off the whole thing. "We are looking at the possibility as to whether this has anything to do with the shooting. Whatever the reason's this was done to intimidate people at the Colombo Tea Auctions." police said. Three weeks ago a manager of a reputed tea company was gunned down by an assassin while shopping at Nawala, Nugegoda. An unidentified person fired several shots killing him outside a shop at Nawala Nugegoda. It happened when he came out of the shop. "The killer had followed him all the way from Colombo to Nawala and thereafter escaped in a vehicle," police said. Meanwhile, the Tea Commissioner in a television documentary spoke about adulterated tea being dumped in the export market which would ultimately tarnish Sri Lanka's image as a tea producing country. In fact this has provoked some exporters who have accused the Tea Commissioner for not promoting Sri Lankan teas. Statistics show that around 4000 persons have been arrested by the police during special operations carried out by the police in Colombo and its suburbs. Last month two youths were shot dead by an unknown gunman while travelling in a luxury bus at Koralawella. In a separate incident a youth was shot dead in his home at Koralawella. However the Moratuwa Police are yet to arrest the suspects involved in the shooting. Last month the Colombo Crime Division arrested several gang members from South taking refuge in a house at Piliyandala responsible for carrying out several murders and robberies, in Colombo. Statistics on crime show that up to October 2003, 594 motor cycles have been robbed and only 182 have been recovered. |
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