8 suspects arrested over Midigama shooting

The Matara Division Crimes Bureau has arrested eight suspects involved in a shooting that killed one person and injured two others in the Goviyapana area in Midigama Police Division.

On September 19, the suspects arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire at a person in a fish market in the Goviyapana area, and then fled the scene.

The main shooter, a suspect found with a firearm and five rounds of ammunition, five accomplices, and a female suspect were arrested yesterday (03) in Wellawaya, Ahangama, and Midigama areas by officers of the Matara Division Crimes Bureau.

The suspects were subsequently taken to the Matara Police Station. The three-wheeler used to transport the weapon after the crime was also seized by police.

The arrested suspects, aged between 20 and 42, are residents of Ahangama, Weligama, and Wellawaya, while the female suspect is a 41-year-old resident of Ahangama.

In addition, Rs. 1,542,000 was found on the suspect who was in possession of the pistol, and the money, suspected to be proceeds from heroin trafficking, was taken into custody. It was revealed that the suspect is a close associate of an individual involved in organized crime and drug trafficking from abroad.

The Matara Division Crimes Bureau is continuing its investigation into the incident.