Actor’s role in real life comes a cropper

The hostage drama was all over in a matter of minutes. The proprietor of the employment agency at Kiribathgoda was pulled out from his car by a group of people posing as police officers at the Kiribathgoda - Makola main road. Thereafter they bundled him into a car and drove off to a secret location at Himbutana in the Angoda area where he was held captive as a hostage in a storeyed house.

The police followed several clues and was able to identify the suspect as an ex -Special Forces army soldier who deserted his post some time back and took to acting in a big way in popular teledramas. Police are now investigating whether he was wanted by the army for deserting.

It came to light that the teledrama actor had been involved in several robberies in the Cinnamon Gardens, Narahenpita, and Borella areas. His associates were mainly drug dealers from Wanathamulle area who were also involved in crime.

The actor was involved in robberies of cigarette vans in Colombo and elsewhere. He was also in possession of a fake army identity card to protect himself from arbitrary arrests, police said.

The incident happened a month ago when the proprietor was driving his car along the Kiribathgoda -Makola road. He noticed a car pulled up across the road obstructing his pathway. When he finally approached the spot, four men emerged and surrounded his car to prevent him from proceeding any further.

TID

The men introduced themselves as officers from the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) and said they wanted to question him with regard to an Employment Agency matter. The robbers then whisked him away in their car. They also drove off in his luxury Toyota car valued more than Rs. 4.5 million. The gang was led by a versatile and famous teledrama actor who played the role of a police inspector in the Finger Prints series teledrama. He had also played the roles of an army officer in other teledramas and in other popular dramas.

The gang held up the businessman in solitary confinement at a house at Himbutane. Their modus operandi was to extort Rs. 1.6 million for his release. The teledrama actor who posed as a police Inspector told the businessman that the house was used by them as a torture chamber to instil fear in him. The victim was thereafter blindfolded, tied and unmercifully beaten by the gang. Police told the Sunday Observer that the gang members belong to a drug cartel in the Wanathamulla area and had been involved in several crimes. The proprietor of the job agency was released on condition that he deposits a sum of Rs 1.6 to an account number furnished by the gang. Following the assurance given by him, the gang released him. For fear of his life, the proprietor of the job agncy deposited a sum of Rs 1.6 million to the bank account number furnished by the gang on the following day. The gang threatened to kill him if he failed to do so. However, the teledrama actor did not release the Toyota limousine worth Rs. 4.5 million to the businessman. When he inquired about his vehicle the teledrama actor insisted that he needed another Rs 2 lakhs for the release of his vehicle. Finally when pressure was brought upon him to release the vehicle he insisted that a sum of Rs 5 lakhs was needed for the release of the vehicle.

The businessman was so terrified and shaken up following the hostage drama. He did not even lodge a complaint at a police station regarding his ordeal.

A week later he met a friend and described in details of his agonising ordeal. The friend communicated the abduction and the ranson demand to DIG Colombo, Anura Senanayake. The DIG immediately ordered the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) Director, Superintendent of Police, D.R.L Ranaweera to investigate the crime and to arrest the suspects forthwith. Accordingly a team of CCD sleuths under the supervision of OIC, CCD, Chief Inspector Hemantha Dikovita and his assistants were entrusted with the task of apprehending the gang. The police team followed up several clues and gathered evidence from telephone conversations. Thereafter, they hatched a plan to round up the gang.

The job agency boss was informed to tell the robbers that he was willing to offer Rs 5 lakhs for the release of the vehicle. When it was communicated to the teledrama actor he promised to see the job agency boss at his office on November 7. The policemen in civilian clothes took up position near the office and waited in ambush.

Money

Finally two gang members arrived at the office during lunch break to collect the money. Policemen hiding near the office pounced on them and arrested the suspects.

They were whisked away to the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) office at Dematagoda where they were grilled for several hours until they broke down and confessed the names of the ring leader and other accomplices involved in the abduction and the ransom demand. The sleuths were not surprised to learn the ring leader of the gang was none other than the popular teledrama actor who was featured in several teledramas. A police team arrested the main suspect along with two others at Wanathamulla, Borella. Three suspects who have fled from their homes are evading arrest. They are from Kirindiwela and from Wanathamulla areas, police said.

Three weeks prior to the hostage drama , the teledrama actor was approached by a person from Balangoda to explain the ordeal with the proprietor of the employment agency at Kiribathgoda. He had cheated them by not sending them to Italy for employment after paying him a sum of Rs 1.6 million for the job. Although the owner promised to return the money he failed to do so dashing their hopes of employment in Italy.

They urged the teledrama actor to intervene and recover Rs 1.6 million which they paid as an advance to the employment agency owner. Having given a patient hearing to their grievance, the teledrama actor gave an assurance that he would intervene on their behalf.

The following week he planned his modus operandi with four buddies at Wanathamulla. He summoned them to his house and mapped out a plan to abduct the job agency boss. Their master plan was to intercept his vehicle at Kiribathgoda, abduct the man and take him to a secret hide out, police said.