Main gunman in former Boossa prison chief’s murder arrested

The main gunman involved in the shooting and killing of former Superintendent of Boossa Prison, Siridath Dhammika, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The suspect attempted to flee to Thailand today (April 15) using a forged passport. He was arrested by officials at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake while trying to leave the country.

On March 13, 2025, former Superintendent of Boossa Prison, Siridath Dhammika, was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in the Thalagaha area of Akmeemana, Galle.

A gunman arrived at the victim’s residence in the afternoon, carried out the shooting, and fled the scene.

This arrest was made possible by the facial recognition system installed at the departure terminal of Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake.

The arrested individual has been identified as 31-year-old Wijemuni Lalantha Preethiraj Kumara, a resident of Kuliyawatta, Ambalangoda.

Police revealed that the suspect was serving as the main gunman for an organized crime gang leader in the Southern Province, known as “Karandeniya Sudda.”

He is also a wanted suspect in connection with several murders and financial fraud cases in the Galle and Ambalangoda police jurisdictions.

The suspect had prepared a forged passport under the alias “Ekanayake Mudiyanselage Lakindu Sandeep Bandara” and attempted to leave the country using this false identity.

The arrested suspect was taken from Bandaranaike International Airport by a team of officers, including the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Ambalangoda Police Station, for further investigations.