Drug dealer behind businessman's killing?

By Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

Four months ago millionaire businessman Surendra Jayasinghe was shot dead by an underworld member who had close dealings with him while he was in his car.

The shooting took place under the fly-over at Pannipitiya on April 10, 2010. Police said the suspect was an underworld member of the notorious Guna clan from Kimbula-Ela, Mutwal. Guna's gang had close links with LTTE cadres in the past and supplied them with heroin and weapons to assassinate rival members of the drug cartel in the Western Province.

However, Guna escaped to South India when the police were hot on his heels in drug related crimes and many unsolved assassinations.

On the day of the incident, the underworld member of the gang assigned for the job waited under the flyover at Pannipitiya for the arrival of businessman Surendra in his car.

According to the police, the men were involved in the drug trade. Surendra had met the suspect on several occasions and had cultivated a close friendship with him. On that particular day they were to meet at Pannipitiya near the flyover.

Businessman Surendra Jayasinghe was usually accompanied by his wife and child on such missions. The reason was that they feared for his safety. Surendra too was suspicious of the underworld member since he belonged to a ruthless gang at Mutwal. However, on the day in question they were to meet alone for some unknown reason. Guna's underworld gang had cultivated a close friendship with businessman Surendra as they were involved in the drug trade.

Fateful day

On that fateful day, Surendra drove his car to Pannipitiya from his Battaramulla residence. The underworld member who waited for him under the flyover spotted the car as it approached the Pannipitiya flyover. No sooner the car came to a halt that the man boarded the rear seat. They chatted for a while and Surendra handed over several packets containing heroin worth thousands of rupees. After collecting the packets, the underworld member pulled out a loaded micro pistol from his trouser pocket and fired two shots at Surendra's head and escaped unnoticed.

At the busy intersection, several persons had heard some shots being fired but they were unaware of what happened. Some persons had even seen a man running along the road but were puzzled. The shots fatally injured Surendra who slumped in the front seat of his car. Onlookers who gathered near the car pulled out the injured person but he was dead. The victim succumbed to his injuries even before he was taken to hospital. Police immediately rushed to the scene of the shooting and found the blood splattered car under the flyover.

Cold-blooded murder

Following the cold blooded murder on a public highway, DIG Western Province DIG Daya Samaraweera instructed Superintendent of Police, Nugegoda Division Deshabandu Tennakoon and ASP Crimes, Nugegoda, Nishantha Soysa to investigate the underworld killing. The OIC of the Special Crimes Bureau, Chief Inspector Janaka Kumara and Inspector Wanigatunga were entrusted with the task of investigating the mysterious murder. Police Sergeants Lukshaman, Prasanne, Karunatissa along with Police Constables Vipula and Prasanna were also assigned to investigate the murder. The sleuths worked tirelessly on the case for nearly four months and finally made a breakthrough when an informant tipped them off about the killers.

Last week police sleuths searched a house at Pannipitiya and arrested a suspect, Lakshman who was linked to the killing.

Following his arrest two other suspects linked to the murder, Sampath and Naushad were arrested at their homes at Maharagama and Kimbula-Ela, Modera last week. Police said the three suspects were notorious underworld men wanted in connection with several criminal cases. Police are now looking for the fourth suspect Kumara, a close associate of Kimbula- Ela Guna who is believed to be in the possession of the micro pistol allegedly used in the assassination. Kumar had fled the area and his whereabouts are unknown. "The recovery of the micro pistol is vital as it will shed light on other unsolved killings of the underworld," a senior police officer said.

Motive for killing

The motive for the killing of the businessman was to avenge the death of Sinaiah Wijeyarangan, a businessman who was shot dead five years ago by a rival gang in the Gampaha area. The deceased was the elder brother of Kimbula-Ela Guna who suspected that Surendra Jayasinghe had tipped off the gang on the movements of his brother. The three suspects in custody told police that they acted on the instructions of Guna who lives in South India to carry out the assassination.

The underworld member who is believed to have pulled the trigger at the businessman had told police that attempts made earlier to shoot him were thwarted due to the presence of his wife and the child.

He also told police that Guna had instructed his underworld bosses in Colombo not to harm the family of the businessman. Guna's modus operandi to lure Surendra Jayasinghe into his fold was by lending money to him through an underworld agent. He made this possible by introducing an underworld member to Surendra Jayasinghe through a third party. Sudrendra who was in need of cash trusted the underworld agent.

"Although Guna is believed to be hiding in South India with the support of a drug cartel he is allegedly involved in heroin smuggling operations to Sri Lanka," a senior police officer said. Meanwhile, several attempts made to assassinate the businessman were not successful.

Last year Surendra escaped an assassination bid when an underworld member shot and wounded him severely in the Mount Lavinia area. But he survived and resumed his trade. It was through fear that Surendra Jayasinghe left his Mount Lavinia residence and moved over to Battaramulla.

According to Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) reports 14 Sri Lankans had been arrested abroad while trying to smuggle drugs to India, Abu Dhabi and South Korea in 2009.

Twelve persons including Indians, a Pakistani and a Nepalese were arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) who tried to smuggle heroin and cocaine to the country. The total quantity of heroin seized by law enforcement agencies in Sri Lanka was around 34 killogrammes in 2009.