Two persons who came on a motorcycle had shot at a house in Kandana Pio Mawatha with a T-56 weapon, where a businessman who had refused to pay extortion money of Rs. 5 million demanded by an underworld criminal in Dubai, was living and the culprits had fled yesterday (4).
A call had been given to this businessman who was engaged in buying meat from farms and selling them to supermarkets demanding Rs.5 million. This demand had been made by a member of the underworld named “Chooti Malli” who had been living in Kandana but was now in hiding in Dubai. Although he had been calling the businessman for a week and demanding the money, the businessman had told him that he would not pay money earned through sweat and effort as extortion money. It is stated that Chooti Malli had said, “If so, there is nothing I can do about it. You resolve it with Waruna.”
Police information revealed that the person named Waruna was a powerful member connected to an underworld gang in operation in Gampaha and that Heenatiyana Mahesh and Waruna were members of the same group.
Heenatiyana Mahesh is said to be intimidating businessmen in Minuwangoda, Seeduwa and Negombo while hiding in Dubai and collecting extortion money, according to information received by the police. The Police Special Task Force had received information that he had recently demanded Rs.50 million from a businessman in Negombo.
Police said they are receiving confirmation that those who shot at the house of the businessman in Kandana are also henchmen of Waruna. During investigations it was apparent that about 15 gunshots had been fired at the gate and parapet wall of the house.
The owner of the motorcycle in which the shooters had arrived had been identified yesterday itself and taken into custody yesterday morning. When he was questioned he had said that based on a phone call received from Chooti Malli in Dubai, he had lent the motorbike to a person named Santhika to be used for a week. Santhika is a resident of Kandana. Police said that after the shooting, he has fled and gone into hiding. A top police officer said that he is a close associate of Chooti Malli and is connected to drug dealing.