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Gang extorts Rs. 20 mn from clothing industrialist
by Hemantha Randunu

An armed gang had extorted 20 million rupees from the owner of a leading men?s clothing industry in Colombo, but he had not complained to the police as who threatened with death if the matter was reported, sources told The Island yesterday (11).

It was reported that the 20 million rupees was paid by the industrialist, a Muslim, in a number of instalments, after the gang demanded 25 million rupees threatening him with death if he did not pay up.

They had told the industrialist businessman that his family would be abducted and killed if he did cough up the sum demanded by them. The gang had obtained all information about the monies lying to his credit in banks and continued to threaten him demanding the 25 million rupees, sources said.

Afterwards, the industrialist had spoken to the gang and asked them to reduce the amount and they had agreed to reduce it to 20 million rupees.

He has industries in Sri Lanka and ovearseas and is now contemplating leaving the country deeply frustrated.

Unidentified gangs in the recent past have extorted large sums of money, running into several million rupees, each from businessmen and industrialists in Colombo and its suburbs, but none of the persons responsible for these crimes have been arrested so far.

Without understanding the problem, they are trying to bully us, and we won't be isolated. We have all the SAARC countries, the Asian countries,' he added. 'Britain or Western countries, EU countries, they can do whatever. We don't depend on them.'

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