Men Convicted Over Secret Explosives Site Tied to Zahran Network

COLOMBO (News 1st); A three-judge Trial-at-Bar of the Colombo High Court sentenced Abu Hanifa Mohamed Musif and Ameer Hamza Mohamed Hamas to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment after they were convicted over the illegal possession and storage of explosives at Lactose Estate in Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam, in 2019.

The Trial-at-Bar also ordered that the prison terms be implemented after deducting the period the two convicts had already spent in detention and remand custody.

The judgment was delivered by the three-judge bench comprising Lal Ranasinghe Bandara, Rashmi Singappuli and Nayomi Wickramasekara.

On January 16, 2019, the Criminal Investigation Department recovered a stockpile of nitrate, 12 rounds of live ammunition, a firearm, and quantities of nitric acid and urea used in the manufacture of explosives from Lactose Estate in Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam.

In connection with the incident, the Attorney General filed 14 indictments on April 28, 2021 against Abu Hanifa Mohamed Musif, Ameer Hamza Mohamed Hamas, Mohamed Sarifu Adam Lebbe, Mohamed Ibrahim Sadik Abdullah, Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Naufar and Mohamed Rameesh Mohamed Sajid.

The indictments included charges under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, alleging that the accused had conspired with extremists, including Zahran Hashim, to collect explosives, maintain a secret location for bomb-making activities and engage in a criminal conspiracy.

On September 28, the first accused, Abu Hanifa Mohamed Musif, and the second accused, Ameer Hamza Mohamed Hamas, pleaded guilty to the charges against them.

Accordingly, the case was taken up today for sentencing following their admission of guilt.

The remaining accused in the case, Mohamed Sarifu Adam Lebbe, Mohamed Ibrahim Sadik Abdullah, Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Naufar and Mohamed Rameesh Mohamed Sajid, informed court today that they too were willing to conclude the case through a summary procedure.

All four are among the accused who were convicted and sentenced in connection with the Easter Sunday attacks case, in which judgment was delivered on September 22.