A Maldivian businessman first tried all by himself to kill the Maldivian found dead in Sri Lanka early this month before contracting the murder to a fellow countryman, Sri Lankan police revealed Tuesday.

Razeen, who is a notorious former gangster, was found dead with stab injuries in an abandoned paddy field near the Tumbovila Bridge in Piliyandala on November 5. Two suspects -- a Maldivian and his Sri Lankan accomplice -- have been taken into custody.

S. Wijayamuni, the officer in charge of the Piliyandala Police Station, which is investigating the murder, said on Tuesday that the Maldivian businessman had been in Sri Lanka looking into the possibility of carrying out the murder, but had failed, the Haveeru online reported. After that, he had contracted the murder to another fellow countryman who was known to the victim, he added.

“The Sri Lankan police are seeking further information from Maldives about the suspect involved in the murder of a Maldivian national in the outskirts of the capital two weeks back,” Wijayamuni said.

“Information will be sought through the authorised channels in the wake of reports that the murder was committed as a contract given by another Maldivian national.”

Wijayamuni assured that his officers had carried out swift investigations to unearth all information about the murder. He said in addition to arresting the Maldivian suspect and his Sri Lankan accomplice, police have found the van used in the murder, the knife used to stab the victim and his smart watch, which, according to Sri Lankan police, had details of the messages received to his phone, and calls made to and from his phone. 

“The suspect also has confessed about the killing while his local accomplice also has made statements to the police. Both of them are in custody,” Wijayamuni said.

According to the Sri Lankan police, navy divers were used to trace the victim’s phone which was thrown into a waterway in the area.

Razeen was found murdered while his family had been looking for him after he went missing a day earlier. Sources say the family found out Razeen had been killed after seeing photos of his body in the news. (--Haveeru)