(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Police and the Special task Force (STF) have launched a search operation to capture the two suspects who fled during a police shoot out which killed an associate of an underworld leader.
According to the Police, a notorious criminal identified as Manel Rohana alias ‘Tilak’, who is considered to be the main accomplice of underworld leader “Makandure Madhush” in the south was killed during a shootout with the STF yesterday on Kamburupitiya- Akuressa road near the Wilpita Forest Reserve.
Police spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said the three suspects were traveling in a three-wheeler around 7:45 last night when the STF intelligence officers based on intelligence received set up a roadblock at Wilpita on the Kumburupitiya-Akuressa road to apprehend the suspects.
However, when the police attempted to halt the three-wheeler the suspects have fled without following the orders and the police have chased the three-wheeler which had entered a forest area and came to a halt firing at the police officers.
The STF officers retaliating the fire have wounded one of the suspects identified as Manel Rohana and the other two have fled the scene. The wounded suspect has died after he was admitted to the Akuressa hospital.
The police also recovered the T-56 weapon which had been used to fire at the STF officers at the site.
According to the STF, the deceased suspect is the main underling of the underworld leader “Makandure Madhush” in the South and through him Makandure Madhush while hiding overseas, is carrying out extortion, drug trafficking, illegal smuggling and other underworld activities in the South.
