Abductions, extortion: A new social crisis

Abductions, disappearances and extortion have been undoubtedly the chief topics of the country during the past two years besides the war. Frequent reports highlighted by the media, case studies and statistics issued by various bodies in this regard had not only roused the displeasure of foreign powers concerning the government’s lethargic peace efforts, but has also posed the threat of losing much needed funds.

But the accusations have come to a surprising halt over the last few weeks. Allegations of the government’s failure to take quick action seem to have subsided. It is questionable whether the recent arrests made by the Criminal Investigation Department of two groups claiming to be responsible for most of the abductions and extortion had helped put a stop to the issue.

But the sense of relief seemed short lived. Another Tamil national, a Communications Engineer by profession went missing on July 15 and his body was found on July 29 with police capturing two members of an extortion gang responsible for the murder and the demand for a ransom of Rupees five million from the victim’s family. The body of this 27-year-old resident of Kotahena, Vigneswara Mahodaral was recovered by the police after being dumped in a remote rubber estate at Puwakpitiya in Avissawella.

Allegations of secret government agendas, classified military operations in search of terrorist infiltration into government controlled areas, government-backed paramilitary groups operating with the motive of eliminating rivals as well as regular extortion and underworld gangs trying to seize the benefit of the moment were high during the past several months.

UNP MP Lakshman Seneviratne, making a controversial announcement in Parliament on June 6, revealed that retired Air Force Squadron Leader Nishantha Gajanayake, Colombo’s DIG Rohan Abeywardena and a highly placed group of intelligence men were involved in the abduction drama and extortion of millionaire businessmen in the country. He accused the government of covering up this group to conduct their duties undisturbed and demanded a Parliament Select Committee probe into the matter.

Despite intense verbal attacks by government parliament members, the matter was referred to the CID who took Nishantha Gajanayake and one of his accomplices identified as Nalaka Gajadeera, a businessman, for questioning on June 09.

Nishantha Gajanayake was arrested from room number 706 of hotel Holiday Inn in Colombo. The duo was reportedly questioned for several hours and statements were recorded before they were released the same night by the CID. However, after 12 days, on June 21, the CD arrested Gajaijayake for further investigations and he is still reportedly being detained at the “Fourth Floor,” of its Headquarters.

During this period a wealthy businessman of Kotahena, running a foreign employment agency was abducted by an unidentified gang while on his way to Kandy. The driver and the Turbo Intercooler vehicle he was traveling in were abandoned by the gang in the Gelioya area, taking the businessman with them. The gang had first demanded a sum of Rs. 50 million for his release but had reduced the ransom to Rs. 25 million which they collected before releasing him.

A special CID team under the instructions of its DIG D.W. Prathapasinghe and Director SSP Nimal Kulatunga, working on a single lead were able to track down a gang of 16 suspects allegedly responsible for this abduction as well as a series of other extortion cases. The mastermind of the gang, another Muslim businessman engaged in foreign employment had reportedly fled the country along with three other accomplices soon after his men were rounded up with ransom cash amounting to Rs. 10 million. It is significant that this is the only case proven and most suspects arrested for similar cases in the past.Meanwhile, the CID arrested several others linked to Nishantha Gajanayake, who was also the former Aide-De-Camp of then Air Force Chief Donald Perera. Officers mainly from various intelligence units of the government security forces, a Sergeant attached to the Air Force Military Police, a Constable attached to President’s Security Division, a Sub Inspector attached to the Prime Minister’s Security Division and two officers attached to Police Special Task Force Intelligence Unit were also arrested.

Investigations revealed that the detectives are on the trail of an OIC attached to a special police unit who is currently out of the country on a mission and a Sailor who is reportedly a close ally of a senior naval officer. It is also reported that the senior naval officer had personally warned the CID top brass who are to arrest the sailor.

It is evident that not only abductions of millionaire businessmen for ransom have been reported so far but also series of abductions of civilians, chiefly Tamils in Colombo, its suburbs as well as in the North-East operational areas, were also reported in great numbers. The figures of individual disappearances had risen to more than 100 within the last one-and-a-half years, making the authorities responsible not turn a deaf ear to this burning social issue anymore. Several organizations, both government and non-government, were set up, including a Presidential Commission headed by retired High Court Judge Mahanama Thilakaratne to probe into these abductions and disappearances.

The CMC has statistics and information of 132 missing persons countrywide. The CMC works on these cases individually and also to remind law enforcement authorities from time to time.

The extortion gangs have collected large sums of money from over 100 businessmen in the Pettah area alone during the past few months. Jewellery shop owners, wholesale grocery shop owners and many other traders have become victims of extortion gangs who merely call over the phone and demand money by threatening death or abduction. The trend had worsened since the traders are hesitant to report these incidents to the police while being ready to pay whatever amount demanded by the gangs to save their lives.

“I have personally come across such instances where many traders believe that the law enforcement authorities could do very little pertaining to the matter. These cases have not been recorded in any of the current files maintained by various government and non-government monitoring missions. It is still happening and very rarely reported by the media unless it is abduction cases, since most traders wish to remain mum due to the fear of threats posed to their lives,” Mano Ganesan said.

Concerning the abductions and the extortion drama, family members of the two victimized parties were willing to speak to the Daily Mirror. In both cases the family members had paid the ransom but only in one case had the victim returned home.
Case of Cecil Godwin
Entry # CMC/ABD/62
Full name of missing person:
Cecil Godwin
Identity: NIC-670590240 V
Address: Available with CMC
Date of disappearance:
26/07/2006
Place of disappearance:
New Chetty Street, Colombo 3
Name of Complainant:
Available with CMC

Cecil Godwin (39) a father-of-two, was a businessman who was abducted by an unidentified gang on July 20, 2006. His wife Cecil Godwin Indrakanthi speaking to the Daily Mirror about the disappearance of her husband said Mr. Godwin who went to buy something in Bambalapitiya on Thursday July 20, never returned home.

“He left home around 10 am and when he didn’t retuned by 2 pm, I called his hand phone which was switched off by that time. I waited till evening and inquired from a family friend. But nobody knew what had happened to him. The next morning I lodged a complaint with the Kotahena Police. Meanwhile I received a call to my hand phone from a stranger saying that my husband is with them and for us to pay Rs. 5 million for his release.

“When I doubted the caller he passed the phone to my husband who spoke to me in great pain asking me to ready the cash soon. According to him, the abductors had hurt one of his legs and he was in great pain. The stranger called me everyday twice in the morning and night demanding the ransom money. I could only get Rs. 4.6 million ready and the abductors agreed to the amount and asked me to come with the money on Sunday to a place near the Samantha Theatre in Dematagoda at 2 pm. They specifically instructed me not to tell the police about this. I went there in a hired trishaw with my son and as soon as we left our place, I was told by the driver that a suspicious white van was following us till we got to Dematagoda.

“As I got near the Samantha cinema I received a call on my cellular from the stranger instructing me to hand over the bag containing the cash to a person of given description. Soon, a young man in his mid-twenties, wearing black pants, a yellow t-shirt and a pair of sunglasses approached me and asked for the cash. When I asked about my husband, I was told that he would return soon. Several days passes but he didn’t return. I kept on visiting the Kotahena Police Station looking for information on my husband till September 29 when the police had arrested a person involved in abduction cases. To my surprise, it was the stranger who came to collect the cash that day.

“I learnt that the police are trying to release the suspect for some reason. Then I informed the Civil Monitoring Mission and several Parliamentary and Municipal Council members immediately visited the Kotahena Police and opposed the release of the suspect while demanding tough legal action.

It was later reported that the suspect was transferred to the CID for further investigations. The CID also recorded statements from me several times. An officer who conducted my husband’s inquiry said several other suspects also linked to the abduction are evading arrest. And that the arrested suspect does not know the whereabouts of my husband. It has been a year to July 20, 2007 but I am yet to hear a word about my husband. Everyday I anxiously await news of him but it is only on hope that I’m living on now,” she said.

Unlike many other similar abduction and ransom cases reported, Mrs. Godwin is yet to see her husband, even though it is over a year after she had paid the demanded sum of money for his release.

Case of Ponnaiah
Selvarajah
Entry #: CMC/ABD/109
Full name of missing person:
Ponnaiah Selvarajah
Identity: NIC 442230382 V
Address: Available with CMC
Date of disappearance:
Date: 07 Month: April
Year: 2007
Place of disappearance:
Bala Stores, Wellawaya
Name of Complainant:
Available with CMC

63-year-old Ponnaiah Selvarajah, a father of four was abducted from his grocery shop in Wellawaya on April 07, 2007 along with a 17-year-old boy called Selvatheepan who worked as an assistant, by a group of men claiming to be from the CID. The family members paid a sum of Rs. 2 million as demanded and the two were released within two months.

One of the three daughters of Mr. Selvarajah, Kaleichelvi Selvarajah, explaining her father’s abduction said her father and her brother are running a grocery shop in Wellawaya. On April 07 a group of men had stormed the place and taken her father along with a shop assistant saying they were from the CID and needed to ask several questions. The brother was also at the premises sleeping at that time and he had received a call from a stranger saying the father and assistant are with them and to pay a sum of Rs. 50 million for their release.

“The brother had immediately lodged a complaint with the Wellawaya Police and informed us at Wellawatta. When the abductors again called us, we explained our inability to pay the Rs. 50 million as ransom. They then reduced it to Rs. 15 million. The gang frequently contacted us for the next two weeks and we said that we could pay only Rs. 2.5 million. The gang then reduced the ransom to Rs. 7.5 million and threatened that the duo would be shot if the said amount is not paid. A few weeks later, the gang instructed us to come to Warakapola town. From there they gave instructions over the phone for us to proceed till we reached the final police post in a corner of Polonnaruwa District at Aralaganwila.

“There they ordered us to leave the Rs. 2.5 million at a dissident LTTE Karuna faction camp. But we refused to do so claiming the insecurity of the situation and returned to Colombo. However, later they instructed us to deposit the cash into an account number they gave us. Within a week of the payment, my father and his assistant came home.

“According to my father, they had been detained at a makeshift tent in a thick forest, with armed guards all 24 hours. On the day of the release they were brought to the Polonnaruwa railway station and sent to Colombo with Rs. 1000 as money for travel expenses.

“Yet they kept on calling us demanding for the rest of the Rs. 5 million, threatening to abduct the brother in the near future.”

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/08/04/feat/1.asp)