Police claim killed in crossfire

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

A special police team led by the Maligawatta Police OIC has been appointed to investigate the killing of notorious underworld drug kingpin Samarasinghe Arachchige Madush Lakshitha alias Makandure Madush.  

He was shot dead in a crossfire between the police and other suspected underworld criminals at the Maligawatta Housing Complex yesterday morning, Police Spokesman Ajith Rohana said.  

He said Colombo Crimes Division personnel had taken Madush to an apartment at the housing complex to recover a stock of hidden heroin when a group of unidentified men, suspected to be Madush’s accomplices had reportedly opened fire at the police.  

• Colombo Crimes Division personnel had taken Madush to an apartment at  the housing complex to recover a stock of herion hidden in the appartment complex when  unidentified men, suspected to be Madush’s accomplices, had reportedly opened fire at the police  
• He was shot dead in a crossfire between the police and other suspected underworld criminals at the Maligawatta Housing Complex yesterday morning

DIG Rohana said two police constables attached to the CCD were also injured in the shootout. 

 
Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennakoon said the suspect had thrown a hand grenade at the police before fleeing the scene injuring a police constable in the explosion.   

Police recovered 22 kilograms of heroin worth Rs.22 million, two pistols and a motorcycle from the location.  
The DIG said the heroin was recovered from a house on the 10th floor of the complex which is believed to be a hideout of underworld criminal Kanjipani Imran.  

Makandure Madush who was under CID custody for some 18 months was on Friday handed over to the CCD for further investigations.  The detectives had recovered 11 kilos of heroin from Kotikawatta on October 17 following a tip off by Madush, who was initially arrested in Dubai on February 5, 2019 and deported to Sri Lanka on May 5 last year.  

Meanwhile, DIG Rohana said Madush’s widow had identified his body and that the remains would be handed over to his family after the magisterial inquiry and the postmortem examination.  

Madush is said to have been involved in drug trafficking and various other crimes including several killings particularly that of former Southern Provincial Councillor Danny Hiththatiya in 2006.  

• The detectives had recovered 11 kilos of heroin from Kotikawatta on Oct.17 following a tip off by Madush. He was arrested in Dubai on Feb. 5, 2019 and deported to Sri Lanka