(COLOMBO) – The alleged leader of a gang that murdered five people including the leader of a small political party was yesterday identified as a former Sri Lankan naval personnel, police said on Friday.
The wife of the main suspect also a former naval personnel along with her father were arrested from a safe house in the island-nation’s Deep South along with a small stash of heroin, police said.
They said the main suspect is nonetheless on the run at the moment.
Five people, including the leader of the Ape Jana Bala Party, Saman Perera was killed broad day light at a southern town in Belliatte some 196 kilometers away from the commercial capital of Colombo early last week.
Police investigators had earlier warned that Sri Lanka service personnel both serving and retired were moonlighting as contract killers for crime gangs owing to their knowledge of weapons and tracking systems.
Perera is also suspected to be involved in the illicit drug trade and his wife is a serving doctor at a leading Government hospital.
The navy could not be reached for comment in this regard.
