After the shooter is apprehended, the full story behind Dragon Sampath's murder will be revealed.

It was between 7:40 AM and 7:55 AM on October 09 last year. The restaurant owner and his wife had just alighted from a luxury vehicle that arrived in front of the 'Dragon' restaurant located at Nagoda, Gallassa Junction on the Kalutara, Matugama road.

Two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle suddenly opened fire on them with a T-56 assault rifle. According to police investigations, the gunman had emptied his entire magazine, and 30 bullet casings were found scattered at the scene.

In this inhumane attack, 54-year-old Thusara Sampath Edirisinghe, also known as “Dragon Sampath,” died on the spot. His seriously injured wife, Samarawira Mudaliige Dona Shiromi Priyadarshani, who was in her fifties, passed away two days later, on October 11, in the early hours of the morning, after being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Kalutara Nagoda Teaching Hospital. Ultimately, that innocent woman also had to pay with her life for the consequences of a dark underworld deal.

Police investigations have revealed that Dragon Sampath, who was murdered, was not just an ordinary businessman. He was an alleged criminal who had evaded the law for a long time under the shadow of a powerful diplomat and politician in the area. He faced serious charges including stealing a T-56 firearm from Pubudu Wijegunawardena, the owner of Thudugala Ella Restaurant in Dodangoda, and providing it for underworld activities in Moratuwa and Grandpass areas, murdering one of the twin brothers known as "Meepatiya" in Dodangoda, and a rape case. Due to his criminal background, he was also subjected to an acid attack several years ago, which resulted in a partial loss of his eyesight.

The root cause of this double murder lies within a black money and drug network extending from Sri Lanka to Dubai. According to investigations, Dragon Sampath acted as the main money launderer for funds earned from drug trafficking by "Kalutara Naveen," an organized crime gang leader hiding in Dubai. However, this crisis arose when Sampath defrauded Naveen of 100 million rupees. Sampath's disregard for repeated death threats from "Dodangoda Dhanuka," Naveen's financial administrator, who demanded the money back, ultimately led Kalutara Naveen to issue this murder order. The scale of Kalutara Naveen's drug network is so vast that in March this year, three individuals aged between 28-33 from the Kalutara area were arrested by the Special Task Force with 1 kg of 'Ice' (crystal methamphetamine), and it was confirmed that these drugs belonged to Naveen's network.

The contract for the murder was given to organized criminal Kanjipani Imran. The shooter who carried out the attack through him was arrested by the Police Special Task Force on October 10, less than 24 hours after the murder. The suspect, 35-year-old Murugesh Sashikumar, residing at house number 120, Karamba, Palaviya, is a rehabilitated former LTTE member who worked as Kanjipani Imran's long-term contract shooter. He was apprehended at a roadblock set up at Navalady Junction while attempting to flee on a bus traveling from the Central Bus Stand in Colombo towards Batticaloa. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of 40 grams of 'Ice' (crystal methamphetamine), a smartphone, and 6 SIM cards. The suspect is currently being held and interrogated by the Kalutara Crimes Division.

After the shooter was apprehended, three more suspects from the network who aided and abetted the killers by supplying and transporting the T-56 firearm were arrested by the Kalutara District Crime Unit on the evening of Thursday, the 15th. The first was a 36-year-old diver residing in Remunagoda, Kalutara. He was found in possession of a three-wheeler worth approximately 1.5 million rupees stolen from Panadura North, a motorcycle, a mobile phone, and a T-shirt worn during the crime. The second was a 26-year-old barber from Dias Watte, Koholana, Kalutara. He was found with 1000 milligrams of 'Ice' (crystal methamphetamine), a mobile phone, a safety helmet, and the fake number plate used on the motorcycle that transported the firearm. Additionally, a 24-year-old youth from Kekulandala, Agalawatta, was taken into police custody with a safety helmet, T-shirt, long trousers, and a mobile phone used for transporting the firearm.

This arrest operation was launched under the instructions of Deputy Inspector General of Police Padmini Weerasuriya, in charge of the Kalutara Division, and Mr. Kamal Kiriella, Director of the Kalutara District Crime Unit. Under the leadership of Chief Inspector Sanath Kumara, Sub-Inspector Upul, Sergeants Samanthilaka (41104), Gunawardena (44817), Prasanna (69479), Sarath (49251), Constables Dissanayake (83875), Anjula (98857), and Constable Driver Lasika (80123) also participated. Further investigations into the incident are currently being carried out by Chief Inspector K.L. Sarathchandra, Officer-in-Charge of the Kalutara Divisional Crime Investigation Unit, Inspector Madhuranga Arumapperuma, and Kalutara Headquarters Chief Inspector Nalaka Gunasekara, among other officers, under the guidance of Senior Superintendent of Police K.A. Udayakumara, in charge of the Kalutara Division.

With this double murder, the depth of this underworld catastrophe, where drug trafficking, money laundering, and political shadows intertwine, has once again been exposed before us. Even though they may evade the gaps in the law, Dragon Sampath's fate clearly demonstrates that the vicious cycle of the underworld ultimately consumes its own. Kalutara South Headquarters Police, Kalutara Crime Division, Divisional Crime Investigation Unit, and the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) will jointly further clarify the depth of this social catastrophe. But what will happen after this deadly drama, which leaves a serious question mark regarding the rule of law?