By Crime analysts point out that, as information about the Beliattha mass murder that killed five persons, including the leader of the Ape Janbala Party, Saman Perera, becomes clear, this is a contract murder carried out on the instructions of another party. It has been revealed that Saman Perera was planning to reveal sensitive information in the days ahead when he was assassinated.
All information is pointing out to the direction of a well-organized crime ring that operates from Dubai. This crime ring is known to have connections with local politicians.
A prime suspect who is supposed to have carried out the shooting is an interdicted Police Sub-Inspector, Ranmuni Mahesh Hemantha De Silva, and the other is a former Navy officer popularly known as Chuti. There have been different reports on the current whereabouts of these suspects. The Police believe that the former Navy officer has fled the country about a week after the shooting via the airport while the interdicted Police Inspector is still at large within the country.
While there are unconfirmed reports that both these suspects have reached Dubai, the Police Inspector who is the second shooter is believed to be a close associate of underworld gangster ‘Kosgoda Sujee,’ and the Police are requesting the public to provide information. Three mobile phones belonging to this former Kollupitiya Police officer have been made public. The phone numbers are 0742 226 022 / 0718 591 492 / 0718 594 455.
Former Navy Officer :
Meanwhile, the Police Special Task Force (STF) has arrested the 39-year-old wife and the 72-year-old father of the former Naval officer. The suspects were arrested with 21 grams and 350 milligrams of heroin while they were in hiding at Pathagama in the Pallewela area. The arrested suspects have revealed that the former Naval officer fled to Dubai, and a person identified as Nipuna had arranged for the air tickets. It is not clear how the suspected shooter fled the country across the airport.
While social media reports have questioned how the Police were able to search Saman Perera’s house in Kurunagala soon after the killing with special police dogs from Kandy, social media commentators speculate that the Police may have had prior information about the shooting. A key question faced by investigators is whether these murders were carried out as revenge attacks by a gang of Dubai-based organized criminals or were they carried out by an organized gang of criminals operating on behalf of someone else?”
