City abductions: Police identify kingpins

By Asif Fuard

In the wake of last week’s arrest of a person who was attempting to abduct a Tamil businessman in Kotahena, police have managed to identify the key suspects involved in the spree of abduction of Tamil businessmen in Colombo.

DIG M.K. Illangakoone who is conducting the investigations told The Sunday Times that they had uncovered vital clues relating to the investigation but declined to comment any further as it could hamper the on-going investigations.

“We have interrogated the arrested suspect involved in the kidnapping. Now we are in pursuit of the kingpins,” he said.

Over 63 Tamil civilians were abducted since June this year in Colombo alone, in what appeared to be a well planned extortion racket. According to police sources, during the months of August-September, 25 of the Tamil businessmen were abducted by men arriving in white vans without number plates.