One of the two gunmen involved in the recent shooting and killing of a lawyer and his wife at Akuregoda has been arrested by the police.
The suspect, who is reportedly an army deserter, has been arrested in the Ambalangoda area.
Police sources revealed that the arrested suspect is one of the two gunmen involved in the shooting and is believed to be the individual seen in CCTV footage opening fire using a T-56 assault rifle in the Akuregoda shooting.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala informed Parliament yesterday (20) that one of the two shooters involved in the killing of a lawyer and his wife at Akuregoda, as well as the driver who transported them to the lodge where they stayed, had been identified.
Commenting on the incident, the Minister had confirmed that necessary steps are being taken to apprehend all suspects involved.
“The vehicle used in the crime was found torched and destroyed in the Baddegama area. Another vehicle used to deliver the firearms for the crime has been recovered in the Kottawa area. Investigations are ongoing to locate the vehicle that transported the shooters to their lodging prior to the crime, and its owner has now been identified,” he said.
He further revealed that the suspect who opened fire at the victims using a revolver has been identified as Robert Suresh, a resident of Pansala Road, Meewala, Rukgahawila.
Extensive investigations have commenced to apprehend this individual, the minister had said.
On February 13, Attorney-at-Law Buddhika Mallawaarachchi and his wife were shot and killed in the parking lot of a supermarket located in Thalangama, Akuregoda.
Following the incident, on the instructions of the Inspector General of Police, 12 police teams were deployed to conduct investigations.
Based on preliminary investigations, police arrested two brothers suspected of transporting the firearms used by the gunmen on February 16 in Kottawa
Meanwhile, based on information revealed during interrogations, police also later arrested a suspect known as “Dila” in Polgasowita.
Investigations have uncovered that the two brothers had transported the firearms on the instructions of the suspect “Dila,” who was also allegedly involved in the operation.
