Operation to crackdown underworld criminals One suspected criminal killed, 19 others arrested

• The deceased suspect has been identified as the chief suspect in the shooting incident reported in Ja-Ela on March 09, 2024

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya
A suspected underworld gunman was killed and 19 other underworld members have been arrested during the special Police operation conducted to curb underworld activities in Sri Lanka.   
Police said the gunman, an accomplice of underworld figure Mangula Prasad Hemantha alias ‘Patta Manju’ was killed following a shootout with Police Special Task Force (STF) personnel at Ganemulla on Wednesday night.   
Police said the suspect in question had opened fire at STF personnel who were engaged in searching a house at Sumedha Mawatha in Ganemulla, based on intelligence information received.   

He was critically injured when police returned fire while the suspect succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at the Ragama Hospital. A member of the STF had also been injured in the shootout. The deceased suspect has been identified as the chief suspect in the shooting incident reported in Ja-Ela on March 09, 2024.   
Meanwhile, at least 19 individuals directly linked to the underworld have been arrested since Tuesday during the special operation launched under the ‘Yukthiya’ operation.   
In response to a concerning increase in organized criminal activities in the Western and Southern Provinces, a special operation targeting 20 identified organized criminal gangs in the country was launched under the ‘Yukthiya’ initiative on Tuesday.