Drug dealer dies in STF shoot out in Modera, Moratuwa

Notorious drug dealer Thelge Dilan Sameera alias Abba died during a shootout with Police Special Task Force personnel in Modera in the Egoda Uyana police area on Thursday night.

He is an accomplice of drugs smuggler Panadure Salindu who is in Dubai. Police said Sameera had died when he opened fire at STF personnel who were conducting a raid at Isurusiri Mawatha in Modera on Thursday night.

Police said that when a group of persons were being checked by STF personnel in Modera, one of the persons among them opened fire at them and the STF personnel retaliated.

The suspect who was injured as a result, had died subsequent to being admitted to the Panadura Base Hospital. Two of the shots fired by the suspect were found embedded in the bullet-proof vest of the STF officer and he too is undergoing treatment at the Panadura Hospital.

The remains have been placed at the Hospital morgue. A court case against the suspect regarding a murder and another case in connection with hacking and injuring with sharp weapons a woman and causing severe injuries are being heard in Courts at present. When the houses of suspicious persons who were with the deceased suspect were inspected a live hand grenade, manufactured in a foreign country was found from one person’s home. Accordingly, this 31-year-old suspect, a resident of Modera, Moratuwa was also taken into

custody. It was revealed that this individual had been arrested previously for transporting a stock of drugs on the Expressway and a case had been filed against him earlier as well. The STF officers took into custody another six suspicious persons and handed them over to the Egodauyana Police Station for further investigation. The Egodauyana Police is carrying out more investigations.