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Four-year blood feud behind Hekitta fatal shooting
A near four-year blood feud between two drug trafficking gangs was believed to be the most likely reason for Sunday’s fatal shooting of two people in Wattala.
The scene of the shooting
The incident happened around 3 p.m. on the busy Hekitta Road, near a Hindu temple, according to Police. They said the gunmen came in a white car and obstructed the victims’ vehicle which was coming in the opposite direction. Armed with T-56 rifles, the gunmen got off their vehicle and sprayed bullets at the victims’ car, as shocked residents and passers-by looked on.
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen appeared unperturbed and confident as they sped in their car towards the busy Wattala junction instead of choosing the Mattakkuliya-Elakanda end which had several byroads and escape routes.
The shooting bore a similarity to the recent Modera killing. In that incident, too, the assailants came in a vehicle and opened fire at a three-wheeler in broad daylight, injuring four persons. This shooting incident was also related to a drug feud.
Colombo North Deputy Inspector General Deshabandu Tennakoon said the Wattala shooting appeared to be a revenge killing over a 2015 incident in Mattakkuliya.
“In that incident, a woman known as Kudu Selvi was killed by rival drug gang leader Kanna who then fled to India. Selvi’s three sons then took over her drug business, while Kanna appointed a person known as Stanley Fernando to operate his drug distribution business. Since this killing, the rivalry has been going on.”
The DIG said Selvi’s three sons were in prison now but the two sides were engaged in shootings, sword and knife attacks.
Selvi’s son Shiran is believed to be directing the drug business from prison, through his agents.
One such as agent was Shiran’s 31-year-old brother-in-law Steven Ramanathan. It was Steven who was gunned down in Wattala on Sunday. The other victim was his assistant Madhi Annan, 37. While they were being shot, seated in the rear were Steven’s wife (Shiran’s sister) and two of their children. They escaped unhurt.
DIG Tennakoon said that they believed the killing was carried out by the Stanley’s group and it was related to the rivalry over drug distribution in the Wolfendhal and Jinthupitiya areas in Colombo.
Steven, his family members and Madhi were reportedly heading back to their house at Hunupitiya in Wattala after visiting the temple, when the shooting took place.
Police have gathered vital evidence, including CCTV footage.
Investigations have revealed that Stanley had obtained weapons from former LTTE cadres.
The DIG said that, as part of the continuous crackdown on drug traffickers, the Police would introduce a mobile unit to enable residents to complain regarding drug-related incidents, a drug addict or the drug menace in general.
He said a progrmme to prevent poverty-stricken children from being lured into drug trafficking was also part of the plan to reduce the drug menace.