The main suspect in the abduction of an entrepreneur at Pilana, Habaraduwa, Galle together with another accomplice was arrested by Galle Police. They had taken a Rs. 5 million ransom to release the businessman.
The suspect is an ex-commando combatant, a resident of Habaraduwa, attached to the tourism field in its construction sector, Police said.
The suspect who can speak English fluently had fraudulently sent an invitation to the businessperson for a deceptive opening of a tourist hotel and as he was on his way to the function, the suspect had abducted and led the entrepreneur to a lonely place to take the ransom, police said.
The businessperson is a leading supplier of building materials to mainly foreigners who are setting up tourist villas in the area. He had gone to the function believing that the invitation was from a foreign client, Police investigations revealed.
The businessman had travelled along the Warabokka road near Koggala Oya in Habaraduwa in his luxury car when two persons on a motorcycle had stopped him at an isolated location and got in to the vehicle in the pretence of leading him to the function.
They had later blind-folded the entrepreneur and taken him in a separate vehicle leaving the luxury car in Akmeemana and informed the victim’s brother, a business person, about the kidnap. They had demanded Rs. 40 million to release his brother.
Following negotiations, the suspects had reduced the ransom to Rs. 5 million. The victim’s brother withdrew the required sum from a bank at Koggala and kept the cash at a spot as instructed by the suspects. The suspects after receiving the ransom had taken the entrepreneur blind folded on a motorcycle and dropped him near his residence, police said.
Galle Police arrested the main suspect at Welikonda, Habaraduwa with nearly Rs. 2 million, while another was arrested at his residence in Matale with Rs. 1.9 million.
Investigations are on to arrest one more suspect, police said.
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