Police have arrested four suspects in connection with an abduction incident based on information provided by a private informan during a nighttime patrol in the Mattakkuliya area last night (16).
The Police Media Division said the suspects, aged 24, 26, 27, and 32, hail from Pudukudiirippu, Kotahena, Etchilampatru, and Topur areas.
Investigations have revealed that two of them, who are residents of Etchilampatru and Topur, are affiliated with the notorious ‘Ava Group’ criminal gang, known for its involvement in criminal activities in the North and Eastern regions of Sri Lanka.
Further inquiries have uncovered that the other two suspects had returned to Sri Lanka from Dubai last month.
Acting on instructions from a person residing in Dubai, they allegedly brought down the two ‘Ava Group’ gang members from Trincomalee to Mattakkuliya.
Police revealed that the ‘Ava Group’ members had previously issued threats to a Dubai-based individual via the social media platform ‘TikTok’. Following this, the suspects reportedly orchestrated a plan to lure the gang members to Mattakkuliya through a woman, where they were later assaulted, filmed, and the footage was shared with the person in Dubai.
Mattakkuliya Police are conducting further investigations to uncover more details regarding the incident.