A 39-year-old resident of Borella was shot dead when gunmen opened fire at a birthday party at a hotel in Palliyawatta, Wattala on the night of July 23, and police have since arrested four people over the killing.
According to police, the victim was critically wounded after a group of armed men arrived at the venue in a car, opened fire during the celebration and fled the scene. He was rushed to the National Hospital of Colombo, where he later succumbed to his injuries, NewsFirst reported.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from an ongoing feud between two rival drug-trafficking factions. NewsFirst reported that police have linked the attack to a confrontation between gangs led by figures known as “Borella Roshan” and “Parawi Suda,” part of a wider pattern of territorial disputes among organised crime groups operating in and around the capital.
Four suspects, including two women, have been arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the fatal shooting, the Daily Mirror reported. Police said the suspects are being questioned as inquiries continue into those who carried out the attack and those who assisted them.
The killing adds to a series of gun crimes tied to Sri Lanka’s drug underworld, where rival networks have repeatedly targeted one another in public places.
Update (July 25): Two Sri Lankan suspects linked to the Wattala shooting have been detained in India after fleeing across the Palk Strait by boat, Ada Derana and the Daily Mirror reported. The pair are the latest to be held in connection with the attack, following the earlier arrest of four people, and Sri Lankan authorities are expected to coordinate with their Indian counterparts over the suspects. Police have said inquiries are continuing into those who carried out the shooting and those who helped them.
Update (July 30): A further suspect has been arrested over the shooting — a 24-year-old resident of Mukalangamuwa, Seeduwa, accused of helping to finance the getaway vehicle. Police said he transferred money from his bank account to obtain the rented car used by those who carried out the attack, and that he is alleged to have aided and abetted the crime.
The arrest was made by officers of the Western Province North Crime Division on Wednesday evening in Mukalangamuwa, Ada Derana reported. NewsFirst described the man as a key suspect in the case. The Western Province North Crime Division is continuing its investigations.
Ada Derana placed the original shooting in Palliyawatta, Kadirana, within the Wattala police division, on July 23.
