Dubai-based drug lord’s associate killed in confrontation with STF

By Shamindra Ferdinando

A person shot by a police commando during a search operation in the Egodauyana police area in Moratuwa on Thursday night (10) has succumbed to his injuries at the Panadura hospital.

Police identified the deceased as Thelge Dilan Sameera Pieris, 27, aka Abba.

Police claimed that Dilan had been among a group of persons surrounded by commandos at Modera Isurusiri Mawatha, Egodauyana, during ongoing operation against organised crime.

According to police headquarters, the commando wearing body armour had been shot twice in the exchange and was receiving treatment at the Panadura hospital.

Dilan had been an accused in a murder case as well as indicted in court in another case for causing grievous injuries to a woman. She had been targeted on the orders of Dilan’s Dubai-based boss identified as Salindu.

Police suspect that Dilan had been a close associate of the drug dealer and was engaged in the same despicable trade. A senior official said that the Dubai-based drug dealer had been one of the major suppliers of narcotics to Sri Lanka.

Those who had been with Dilan at the time of the incident were taken in for questioning, a senior police officer said. Subsequently, the police arrested one of them after a search of his house led to the recovery of a hand grenade. Initial investigations revealed that the 31-year-old suspect had been indicted in court over transporting a stock of heroin on the southern expressway. In addition to him, six other persons have been detained pending investigations.

Authoritative sources said that the gang had even recruited military and police personnel to be directly involved in the smuggling of heroin via sea. Sources said that the gang had been involved in a spate of events and Thursday’s operation was mounted after receiving specific information regarding Abba’s presence in the Egodauyana area.

Sources said that Salindu’s gang had been responsible for the recent failed attempt to kill an ambulance driver opposite the Panadura base hospital. Sources said that the ambulance driver believed to be also involved with the gang was accused of passing information to the police.