The recent spate of killings is believed to be linked to a three-cornered battle of underworld kingpins, with Police investigations now revealing that an elusive gang lord operating from overseas despite an Interpol warrant out for his arrest, has a hand in the murders.
Police are investigating three powerful underworld gangs now in the limelight, with two of them led by Makandure Madhush and ‘Angoda Lokka’ teaming up against the gang of the late underworld figure Samayan.
The underworld kingpins behind these crimes have managed to elude arrest only to escape abroad and continue to operate from there, directing their henchman to conduct murders and other dastardly acts in Sri Lanka, police sources told Sunday Observer last week.
Lasantha Chandana Perera aka ‘Angoda Lokka’ and his close associate Athurugiriya Ladiya, were the main suspects in the attack on the prison bus in Kalutara in February 2017 which killed yet another underworld Kingpin Aruna Udaya Shantha alias Samayan.
Brazen killing
The two underworld figures behind the attack managed escaped from the detention facility they were being held at in Chennai, India in 2017. They are now believed to be in hiding within the country. Police believe that assisting Angoda Lokka and Athurugiriya Ladiya in the brazen killing was the elusive underworld figure whose name has been repeated in connection many of the recent deaths. Said to be operating from abroad underworld figure Samarasinghe Arachchige Madhush Lakshitha alias Makandure Madhush is believed to be connected to several killings including the recent gruesome death of Shantha Kumara alias ‘Kos Malli’ whose severed head was found on March 9 in Keselwatta.
The underworld leader is out to get his rivals despite a Blue Notice from the INTERPOL issued against him in 2017.
Justice
However even as the Police closes in on him Madhush is said to have confided in associates that he was tired of his life on the run. Sunday Observer exclusively learns that Madhush has told confidants he was willing to even hand himself over to the authorities and his only request was for the killers of his brother to be brought to justice. Killed several years ago by an unidentified group who had abducted his brother in a white van, Madhush has claimed to confidants that his brother had no links to the underworld or the drug trade.
The underworld kingpin fears death after capture, having ‘lost faith in the law’ after his brother’s killing. Madhush claims the recent killing spree of his rivals is his attempt by him to eradicate the drug menace in the island. Portraying himself as a vigilante and crusader, the underworld leader is claiming that the underworld can only be destroyed in Sri Lanka once the country is free of illegal narcotics.
Eight deaths have been reported in the first three months of this year, which police believe to be the result of this ongoing underworld gang rivalry.
The crime wave has alarmed the citizenry due to the sudden frequency of the murders.
Crime wave
Minister of Law and Order, Ranjith Madduma Bandara tried to dispel fears this week, saying the killings were linked to underworld rifts. He said the STF has deployed special teams to check the crime wave. Recent reports claim STF has traced Madhush to Italy and police sources claim there will be a breakthrough in the Makandure Madhush investigation next week as they continue the manhunt for the shadowy underworld lord.
