STF arrests Samayan's & Uru Juwa's close associate on weapons charge

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lanka Police Special Task Force successfully arrested a wanted criminal gangster and drug trafficker on Friday (5) evening in Ranala.

The suspect was identified as Maduruwala Arachchige Ushan Chathuranga Wimalaweera (32), and he was arrested by the STF for the possession of an overseas manufactured pistol, One magazine, and two 6.35 mm bullets.

According to a statement from the STF, the suspect was formerly a member of the criminal gang run by Aruna Udayantha alias Samayan, who was known as the Godfather of the Sri Lankan underworld for some time, until his assassination in 2017.

Thereafter, the suspect moved to work with another notorious underworld criminal Dineth Melan Mambula, alias 'Uru Juwa', who was later killed in a police fire in 2021.

According to the STF, following the death of 'Uru Juwa' the suspect had used the slain gangsters' money to engage in drug trafficking, and other criminal activity.

Further investigations revealed that the suspect was conspiring to murder an individual identified as Akila, who is believed to be responsible for the attack on another criminal known as 'Bakka', a close friend of the arrested suspect.