The Homicide and Organized Crime Investigation Division of Sri Lanka Police arrested a broker who obtained Rs.100,000 as extortion money from a millionaire businessman, on behalf of ‘Bentota Gihan’, a close associate of organized criminal ‘Harak Kata’.
‘Bentota Gihan’ had demanded an amount of Rs. 1 million and the businessman had credited to him an amount of Rs. 100,000 out of the sum due to fear of this threat.
The businessman who resides at Havelock Town Ocean Blue Apartments received a phone call from ‘Bentota Gihan’ who demanded Rs.1 million within three days. The person who spoke to the businessman threatened him saying that he and his family will be in trouble if he was unable to give the money.
After that, the suspect made more than a hundred phone calls to the businessman asking for the remaining money, and the businessman, who was very scared, arranged to change the car he was using, switched off his phone and stayed at home. He used his son’s mobile phone after that and on this phone too a number of calls received were about threats and demanding the money.
As the threatening calls started to increase day by day, the businessman made a complaint to IGP C.D. Wickramaratne. The IGP has referred the case to the CID. Finally, the suspect was arrested with the help of phone analysis reports.
Bimal Jayasinghe Bandaragama Corr.