Shootout that killed ‘Makandure Madush’

Infamous criminal and drug lord ‘Makandure Madush’ was killed in a crossfire between the police and suspected underworld figures early this morning (20).

According to the police, the crossfire took place at the Maligawatte Housing Complex.

Samarasinghe Arachchilage Madush Lakshitha alias ‘Makandure Madush’ who had been involved in a large number of murders and other criminal activities, was one of the most wanted outlaws in the country. Madush had been in hiding abroad for several years before his arrest.

He was apprehended at a drug-fuelled party thrown by him in a Dubai hotel, back in October 2018 and was kept under the custody of the Dubai authorities before being deported to Sri Lanka on the 5th of May last year.

The officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had placed him under arrest upon his arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

After being held in the custody of CID for nearly one-and-a-half years, the notorious drug kingpin was transferred to the custody of Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) on Friday (October 16).

The following day, based on the information divulged by Madush, the CCD officers managed to recover 10kg of heroin, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 100 million, hidden at a garage in Kotikawatte.

He had given another piece of information to the CCD on a separate consignment of heroin purportedly hidden inside a home unit owned by ‘Kanjipani Imran’ at the Laksetha Sewana apartment complex in Maligawatte.

Thereby, a team of 17 CCD officers including its OIC had led Madush to the said location at around 3.00 am today (October 20).

As seven officers of the CCD team, who were accompanying Madush, entered the first floor of the building using the staircase, two armed individuals bidding their time on the second floor had opened fire at the police sleuths. Reports revealed that Madush was shot in the head during the gunfire while one of the CCD officers was wounded in the leg.

A crossfire had then ensued between the police officers and the two suspects who were making an attempt to escape. The police had continued to shoot at the duo who was getting away in a motorcycle. However, they had fallen off the vehicle, failing to control the speed amidst the shooting.

The suspects had then hurled a hand grenade in the direction of the approaching the CCD officers, injuring one of them.

Probes are now underway in search of the suspects who fled the scene leaving behind the motorcycle, the police said.

In the meantime, Madush, who was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital at around 3.17 am, had succumbed to injuries.

The CCD officers have managed to recover 22kg of heroin during a search operation subsequently launched at the 10th floor of the apartment complex in Maligawatte.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Niranjala de Silva later carried out the magistrate’s inquest of the slain drug kingpin in the afternoon.

The wife of the deceased had identified the body before the Magistrate. The body is to be handed over to relatives after the post mortem.