Drug lord Madush dead | Daily News

Drug lord Madush dead

Shot by rivals in drug chase:
Police find 22 kg heroin in flat:

Notorious drug kingpin and organized crime mastermind Samarasinghe Arachchiage Madush Lakshitha alias Makandure Madush was shot dead yesterday morning.

He succumbed during a police shootout at the Lakshitha Sevana housing complex in Maligawatte at around 4.30 a.m. yesterday morning while he was being accompanied by Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) officers to a drugs haul at the housing complex.

A senior Police officer said the suspect had been escorted to the housing complex by CCD officials after uncovering information of a massive heroin haul hidden at the housing complex.

A senior police officer told the Daily News that Madush had phoned a group of drug dealers yesterday morning with the knowledge of CCD officials.

Madush had informed these drug dealers that he was coming to the housing complex. This operation had been planned by the CCD to unearth drugs through Madush.

However, the suspected drug dealers had opened fire as CCD officials along with Makandure Madush reached the housing complex resulting in injuries to Madush and two CCD constables.

Police spokesman DIG Rohana said Makandure Madush succumbed to his injuries while the two CCD officers have been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.

Police succeeded in recovering a heroin haul weighing over 22 kilograms along with two pistols from the housing scheme.

The CCD recovered a stock of heroin weighing over 10 kgs from Kotikawatta area based on the information provided by Makandure Madush last Saturday as well.

DIG Ajith Rohana said that the suspect has been involved in the murder of former Southern Provincial Councillor Danny Hittetiya in 2006 and a number of criminal activities that took place in Colombo and other parts of the country.

Makandure Madush who had been hiding in Dubai for several years was arrested in 2018 by Dubai Police during a party thrown by him. A number of known persons in the music field from Sri Lanka had also been invited to this drug fuelled party held in a plush hotel in Dubai.

Dubai police arrested 31 persons including Makandure Madush and Sri Lankan celebrities at this party.

DIG Ajith Rohana said that this underworld gangster was deported to Sri Lanka by Dubai authorities on May 5, 2019 after repeated requests made by the Government. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested the suspect upon his arrival at the BIA and it had been conducting investigations after obtaining a detention order from the Court.

This underworld figure was handed over to the CCD to conduct further investigations against him on October 16.

Madush had led his underworld and drug operations from Dubai and had allegedly been involved in the prison bus attack in Kalutara in 2017 where seven inmates including Madush’s rivals died.