Murder-for-Hire Plot Prevented Before Target Was Reached

COLOMBO (News 1st); Four suspects have been arrested along with a revolver allegedly used in several shooting incidents following a special operation launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) based on intelligence received by an officer attached to its counter-terrorism operations unit.

According to investigators, intelligence information revealed that an organized criminal currently hiding overseas had planned a shooting in the Kompannavidiya area in Colombo on Tuesday (18) night.

Acting on the information, intelligence officers launched an operation in Kompannavidiya and arrested a motorcyclist who had allegedly arrived to transport the gunman assigned to carry out the shooting. Police said the suspect was taken into custody while in possession of a revolver.

Investigators stated that the suspect attempted to evade arrest and escape on several occasions, but officers were able to prevent him from fleeing.

Following initial questioning, investigators, assisted by the Police Special Task Force, carried out a search of the suspect's residence and recovered ten rounds of ammunition believed to be compatible with the revolver.

Based on information revealed by the suspect, police subsequently arrested the alleged main suspect who was preparing to direct the shooting operation from within Sri Lanka, the woman who had transported the revolver and another individual connected to the plot.

Investigations have revealed that the planned shooting was allegedly orchestrated from overseas and that the intended target was a close associate of a notorious drug trafficker.

Police also recovered two mobile phones allegedly provided to the suspects by the organized criminal hiding abroad, along with the motorcycle that was to be used in the operation.

Investigators further discovered that the chassis number of the motorcycle was fraudulent.

Meanwhile, forensic investigations have revealed that the revolver allegedly intended for use in the planned shooting was the same firearm used in a shooting incident reported in Ratmalana on August 15.

Police say the individual identified as the principal suspect in the latest plot had also allegedly acted as the gunman in the Ratmalana shooting, while the first suspect arrested with the revolver had allegedly served as the motorcyclist during that incident as well.

Authorities said investigations have uncovered information relating to several other alleged criminal plans involving the suspects, and additional special operations have now been launched in connection with those findings.