Army Major heading extortion racket nabbed

By Jayathilaka Gannoruwa-Thursday, 29 Aug 2013

Mahara Magistrate, Dharshika Wimalaweera, remanded a Sergeant Major (SM-Army) who was taken into custody by a team of officers of the Sapugaskanda Police, for kidnapping a three-wheeler driver and demanding a sum of Rs 500,000 from him. The SM is reported have posed off as an officer from the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB).

A request made by the police to retain and question the Army officer and an Army deserter who was allegedly involved in the drama, was denied. They granted bail by the Magistrate.

The extortionists who had arrived at the residence of the three-wheeler owner, Gayan Jeewantha, in Kelaniya, had kidnapped him and escaped, having posing as a police team attached to the PNB. Thereafter, when Gayan's wife had been trying to contact her husband on his mobile phone, a member of the gang answering the call had allegedly demanded Rs 500,000 to secure his release, informing her they had found a haul of heroin in his possession. The gang had further assured Gayan's wife they would also be able to obtain bail from the Court for 'Gal' Sampath, Gayan's father, who is presently in remand custody at the Mahara Prison, for dealing in heroin.

The officers of the Sapugaskanda Police, informing Court about the money demanded by the extortionists, said they had subsequently set a trap to nab the Sergeant Major and his accomplice. They had put their plan into operation, with Gayan's wife having informed them to meet her at the Galvihara Junction in Sapugaskanda, at which point, she would hand over the money to them. Unknown to the extortionists, the police had been waiting to apprehend them, when they arrived at the designated place.

Police investigations reveal that the person who had come to accept the Rs 500,000 demanded to secure Gayan's release was a Sergeant Major attached to an Army Camp at Pottuvil, Ampara. On being questioned consequent to his arrest, he had divulged who the other members of the gang were.

The items recovered from the suspect includes a 9mm pistol, 12 live bullets and a hand grenade, which had been hidden in a van used by the gang in their unlawful operations. They had also revealed that they had extorted millions of rupees from a businessman in Wellawatta, posing as CID officers.

The extortionists who are now in custody have been identified as Chaminda Kumara of Pitipana, Homagama, Ambaravila, Pradeep Indika Mahagedarawatta of Galle, Piryantha Lal Jayasiri of Balapitiya, T. Anura Kumara of Millewa and M.M.N.A. Bandara of Ambaliyadda.

Investigations are continuing under the instructions of the DIG, Colombo – West, supervised by the Senior DIG, Western Province, Anura Senanayaka.

Investigations are also being conducted by the OIC of the Sapugaskanda Police, P.G.S.R. Sanjeewa, instructed by the SP for Kelaniya, C.E. Edirisinghe.