The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India has arrested nine Sri Lankan underworld gangsters including Kimbulaele Guna, Pukudukanna and Welle Suranga, from a special camp for Tamil refugees at Tiruchirappalli for their alleged involvement in smuggling of drugs and arms to revive the activities of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
“The arrestees have been identified as Sinnaiyya Ravindran Gunasekaran alias Kimbulaele Guna, Pushparajah, Mohammad Asmin, Alahapperumage Sunil Gamini Fonseka, Stanley Kennady Fernando alias Bumma, Nalin Chathuranga alias Athurugiriye Ladiya, Dhanuka Roshan alias Keselwatte Dhanuka, Suranga Pradeep alias Welle Suranga Sinnaiyya Dileepan, Balachandran Pushparaja alias Pukudukanna and Mohammad Mansoon alias Mohammad Azmin.
In addition to these nine people, the information has been released to the Sri Lankan security forces that Dikpitiya Withanage Asitha Noel Kumara alias Army Asitha, who was allegedly involved in the shooting of Former OIC of the Police Narcotics Bureau, IP Neomal Rangajeewa in Piliyandala, has been taken into custody by this agency.
Five people including Kimbula-ele Guna and Bumma were arrested at the Chennai airport while preparing to go to Delhi from Chennai in January this year and this group was arrested in an investigation by the Tamil Nadu Q branch Police over alleged links with the LTTE, from the Chennai airport.
Several people including Kota Gamini had been arrested earlier for drug trafficking and it was also reported that Kimbula-ela Guna was arrested based on the information that Kota Gamini disclosed.
Based on the investigation carried out on Kimbula-ele Guna and others, several raids were conducted places in Cheruppur, Chengalpattu and Tiruchirappalli, and a number of underworld criminals who were involved in illegal drug trafficking from Sri Lanka to India were arrested along with other suspects.
Among these criminals, there are many who have been issued red notices by the International Police. However, India did not hand over any of them to Sri Lanka and it is significant that all nine people taken into custody by the Indian National Investigation Agency were issued with red notices through the international police.
Kimbula-ele Guna was a person who had allegation of having a very close relationship with the LTTE during the war and he was also known as the one who provided shelter to the LTTE members in Colombo. It has also been revealed that he has very close relationships with many politicians.
It has been revealed that Kimbula-Ele Guna, who is considered to be the starting link of drug trafficking in Sri Lanka, was the person who sheltered the female suicide bomber who exploded targeting the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in Town Hall in 1999.
However, he had fled to India on a boat when the Criminal Investigation Department was ready to arrest him in connection with the bombing.
Since then, he has been involved in many crimes from India and almost all male members of his family including his brother Suresh and his son are in India.
He is leading the drug trade from India and he shot and killed Dematagoda Police Anti-Corruption Division OIC Inspector Douglas Nimal and his wife in the Pore area of Athurugiriya who carried out an investigation against him.
Ladiya was arrested by the Coimbatore Police following an investigation by the local Police after the murder of Angoda Lokka in 2017. He was the main suspect in the attack on a prison bus in Ethanmadale in Kalutara and the killing of seven people including a criminal named Pathalaye Samayan.
The underworld gangster named Bumma was a member of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s security team. He was rehabilitated after the end of the war at the Bussa prison and started a close relationship with Kosgoda Suji at the prison. Then he worked as a mystery shooter along with Kosgoda Suji in the southern underworld. Later, he was working as an assassin for many underworld gangs and fled to India by boat in 2019.
Kota Gamini had fled to India in 2005 after killing a former Minister of the Western Provincial Council Sunil Mendis. The suspect called Dhanuka is holding the power of the underworld in Keselwatte after the death of Keselwatte Dinuka who has led many murders from India in the past. It has been revealed that the killing of Amba Shana, the President of Peliyagoda Manning Market Fruit Association, was also done according to his contract.
Meanwhile Indian media quoting the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said that the two arrested Sri Lankan men were in regular touch with Pakistan-based drug dealer Haji Salim, who often travelled between Dubai, Pakistan and Iran. These men and Salim were working to revive the LTTE in India and Sri Lanka, the agency added.
“The case pertains to activities of a Sri Lankan drug mafia controlled by C.Gunashekharan alias Guna and Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna, in association with Haji Salim, drug and arms supplier based in Pakistan, which has been operating in India and Sri Lanka in illegal drugs and arms for the revival of LTTE in India and Sri Lanka,” NIA said.
Add new comment