4 killed and 2 injured in a shooting in Mattakkuliya

Four persons were killed and three critically injured following a shooting incident that took place in the Samitpura area in Mattakkuliya Today evening.

According to Police sources, the three persons, who sustained serious injuries have been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital.

Police further said that the shooting incident had taken place around 7.30 p.m.

Sources also said that the shooting incident was a result of a clash between two rival groups, involved in heroin smuggling. Accordingly, a team led by a person called Kudu Roshan, involved in heroin smuggling who is alleged to have been involved in the shooting. The shooting occurred Kudu Roshan’s situated in the Mattakkuliya housing scheme. The team responsible for the shooting had fled the area.

It has been identified that an underworld kingpin called Chooti Ukkuwa and his fellow gang members had died in the shooting. It has also been revealed that the other gang involved in the shooting had come to the venue in a vehicle which resulted in the shooting.

Four bullet casings from a T56 weapon and two bullet casings from a 9 mm Browning pistol were recovered by the Police at the scene of the shooting.Besides, a motor vehicle has also been taken into custody from the Colombo National Hospital area by the police. Police believe that the suspects had come to Mattakkuliya in this motor vehicle. However, the place where the incident occurred is around 200 metres away from the Mattakkuliya Police station.

Meanwhile the National Hospital sources said the condition of the injured is critical. The remains of the deceased are kept at the ColomboNational Hospital pending an autopsy. Police officers of the Colombo Crime Division are conducting investigations into the incident. The shoot out according to sources had occurred at a location frequented by those involve in the drugs trade in the Mattakuliya area.

Two Intelligence officers Attacked in Chunnakam, Jaffna

Two officers attached to the Government Intelligence Service were hospitalised today with injuries due to a sword attack by two unidentified motorcyclists who had allegedly stabbed them in Chunnakam, Jaffna.

The injured officers receiving treatment at the Tellipalei Hospital were transferred to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for further treatment.

The condition of the injured is said to be not critical.

They were identified as Police Sergeant Nawarathne and Police Constable Herath.

Security of the Chunnakam area is tightened with the presence of the Special Task Force.

A special investigation was launched to arrest the assailants of the sword attack which had taken place within a kilometre of the house of one of the youths who died recently, after they were shot at by the police for disobeying orders to stop their motorcycle. (Selvanayakam Kapilan, Romesh Madushanka)

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Cigarette price to be raised to Rs. 55

The price of a cigarette is expected to be increased up to Rs.55 with the enactment of the 15 per cent VAT, according to the Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne. Recently the price of a cigarette was increased by Rs.7.

At a meeting held at the ministry, he pointed out that although the cigarette price was increased up to Rs.42, the use of other related products (cigar) has not been increased.

Use of these products also should be reduced but, the harm caused by cigarettes is higher than them.

Minister further added that there is no need to use cigars when the cigarette price is increased.

Minister also proposed to the government to increase the taxes on tobacco and thereby remove all the VAT taxes on health service

Dinesh Chandimal Left out of Zimbabwe tour

Sri Lanka have omitted vice captain Dinesh Chandimal from a 15-member squad and brought in three uncapped players for the two-Test tour of Zimbabwe starting on October 29.

Sri Lanka Cricket said Chandimal was yet to recover from a thumb injury he sustained during a domestic match last month. The three new faces in the squad are fast bowlers Kasun Madushanka and Lahiru Kumara and the allrounder Asela Gunaratne.

The first Test begins on October 29 in Harare while the second is scheduled from November 6 at the same venue. Sri Lanka will also play Zimbabwe and the West Indies in a tri-series starting from November 14.

Test Squad: Angelo Mathews (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya Silva, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Niroshan Dikwella, Kasun Madushanka, Lahiru Kumara, Lahiru Gamage and Asela Gunaratne.(AFP)

Chinese woman arrested with Rs.11.64mn gems

A 26-year-old Chinese woman was taken into custody by Customs officers at Bandaranaike International Airport while attempting to smuggle out Rs.11.64 million worth of gems on Friday night.

She was detained at the departure lounge at 8.20 pm following a tip off that she was trying to smuggle out local and foreign currency.The suspect, who was found to be working as a tourist agent in Sri Lanka, was scheduled to fly to Shanghai, China on flight MU231.

When searched officials found 248 gem stones in twelve varieties including topaz, cat’s eyes (Wairodi), eiprins, garnets, blue sapphires, green sapphires, purple sapphires and emeralds packed in her luggage.

Customs officials also found foreign and local currencies amounting to 26,680 Sri Lanka Rupees (LKR), 16,900 Chinese Yuan (CNY) and 1,650 Dollars (USD) in her luggage.

Inflation accelerates to 4.7-pct in September

Sri Lanka’s consumer prices as measured by National Consumer Price Index rose to 4.7 percent in September from the 4.5 percent reported a month ago, data from the state statistics office showed.

In September contribution to the inflation from food group was 2.1 percent while non-food group was 2.7 percent.The index has been calculated as 113.5 for September 2016 and it shows an increase of 0.2 index points to the previous month’s index of 113.3.

This monthly change is due to the increase of expenditure value of food items by 0.07 percent and increase of expenditure value of non-food items by 0.18 percent.

The expenditure value of food commodity group has increased by 0.07 percent in September 2016 compared to August 2016.

The expenditure value of non food commodity group has increased by 0.18 percent in September against August. (LBO)

SL Man sexually abused in Scotland

A Sir Lankan man has spoken of the horror of being enslaved and sexually abused in Dundee, Scotland.

In a chilling insight into modern slavery in the city, Asha revealed how he was treated “like an animal” and forced to work in a bed and breakfast for just 33p an hour — while being routinely groped by his tormentor.

Speaking at a press conference held by Migrant Help UK, Asha said the B&B owner had him at his mercy by threatening to expose his sexuality, which is illegal in his home country.

He was forced to work 15 hours a day without time off for £150 a month, he said.

Reliving the sexual abuse, Asha said: “When I was in the kitchen he would be touching me and when he gave me a hug it would be a disgusting feeling because he was rubbing himself on me.

“He was treating me like an animal. I asked him to stop treating me like this and he wouldn’t.”

Asha — not his real name — arrived in the country in 2011 on a domestic worker visa, having fled his homeland because of the street beatings he suffered for being gay.

Asha was given permanent leave to remain in the UK based on the risk of being persecuted in Sri Lanka. Asked how he felt just weeks after winning the right to stay, the 30-year-old said: “I got my life. That is what I’ve been waiting on for 30 years.”

There are up to 13,000 people held in modern slavery in the UK, according to Home Office figures, with dozens of those likely to be living in Tayside and Fife.

Roger McVicker, from Migrant Help UK, which has supported Asha and many others like him, said the violence that characterised the transatlantic slave trade 200 years ago is still present in the modern form.

But he added: “There is now also more subtle ways of coercing people — with blackmail and stigma ù and threats of ‘if you do not do what we tell you, we have videoed, we have photographed you, and we are going to show it to your family’.”

Det Insp Chris Lewis, from Police Scotland’s human trafficking unit, said they have seen an increase in the crime over three years as “sophisticated” Scottish crime groups seek to tap into a $32bn a year industry. (The Courier)

Chanuka Ratwatte and others released on bail

Fort Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne yesterday released Chanuka Ratwatte and four others on bail.

They were suspected of selling treasury bills through a firm established by Ratwatte and failure to deposit the money in the custody of the state. The loss caused to the state is estimated at Rs. 4,200 million.

Ratwatte was granted bail in Rs. 300,000 cash and three sureties worth Rs. 300,000 each.

The other suspect who had been a director of the firm was released on a lesser quantum of bail.

President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa appeared for Ratwatte, who is a son of the former Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte.

The court, however, prohibited foreign travel by the suspects without its permission.