|
|
|
| Sunday, 14 August 2005 |
 |
|
 |
News |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Luxury vehicles in rugged areas Crime Sunday by Jayampathy Jayasinghe An attempt is being made by underworld gangs to send across stolen vehicles to uncleared areas in the North expeditiously. The move is seen as an attempt to conceal evidence of a multi million rupee vehicle racket perpetrated by the local Mafia. Underworld gangs involved in theft of vehicles were galvanised into action following the recovery of stolen vehicles by the Fort Intelligence Bureau recently. OIC Intelligence Bureau, Inspector Lakshaman Silva said that credible information has been received that underworld gangs are making a desperate attempt to dispose of previously stolen vehicles to persons in uncleared areas. There is a terrific demand for luxury vehicles like Inter-Cooler Pajeros, air-conditioned Dolphin vans in the North East, he said. According to Police sources vehicles that are smuggled across to uncleared areas in the North go through checkpoints along the northern route. To avoid identification at checkpoints vehicle thieves resort to various ploys like tampering with number plates, chassis and engine numbers etc. It has become impracticable for policemen to examine carefully chassis and engine numbers of vehicles that go through checkpoints. A Senior police officer said that there is a tremendous demand for stolen vehicles in uncleared areas. But it is not possible to detect vehicles after being taken across to uncleared areas. Last year several vehicles were stolen from hospital car parks and from the BMICH premises. Meanwhile Inspector Silva said the woman suspect involved in the Rent-a-Car Service racket has been remanded till August 16. A further report is to be filled with regard to investigations carried out by the Police Intelligence Unit. Police said they intend to question two more employees of the Rent-a-Car company in connection with the fictitious sale of cars carried out by them. Meanwhile, several persons whose cars were found by the Police have now run into problems in re-claiming their vehicles from police custody. In many instances ownership of vehicles has not been transferred. Owing to this legal snag, claimants cannot obtain a court order authorising police to release their vehicles. According to Inspector Silva, around 30 vehicles recovered from different parts of the country have been handed over to claimants on court orders. According to Inspector Silva, the woman suspect had allegedly sold vehicles leased to her company by preparing fake documents. A five member team from the Police Intelligence Unit were able to recover 58 stolen vehicles from many parts of the country in a short period. Around 100 odd vehicles are reported to be missing from the Rent-a-Car Company. Although several persons had complained in the past to the Welikade police and the Fraud Bureau about lost vehicles, a full-scale investigation was not undertaken to unearth the enormous magnitude of the racket. According to police, customers were often abused by the Woman suspect when they inquired about their vehicle or about default payment. It was also revealed that she had 15 ferocious dogs to unleash terror on customers who called over at the Rent-a-Car Company. The suspect perhaps may have taken a lesson from the novel of Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles to scare people. Further
investigations are directed by DIG Colombo Pujitha Jayasundera and SSP,
Ananda Levangama. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
