CID takes over Kotawehera explosives probe

By Jayampathy Jayasinghe

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken over the investigation into the explosives found at the Palugaswewa junction on Friday on the instructions of IGP Victor Perera.

The CID has despatched a top level team of investigators headed by a Senior Supdt.of Police to Kotawehera in Palugaswewa to conduct further investigations.

The haul of explosives detected at the Palugaswewa, Kotawehera junction near the police checkpoint on Friday around 5.30.p.m. was the biggest haul of explosives detected so far.

It was meant to cause mayhem and destruction after reaching its intended target. The lorry driver and the lorry cleaner were taken into police custody following the detection.

The CID team will further probe where the explosives were being transported and its actual destination and its intended target. The explosives were being transported in a lorry half packed with coconuts. Initial investigations revealed that the explosives were being transported to Puttalam but its intended target is unknown.

The lorry with a load of coconuts had gone to Pundalu-Oya in the Nuwara Eliya area and was on its way when it was detected. The explosives had weighed 940 kilos which was concealed among the coconuts and some bags containing yeast.

Director CID, SSP Nimal Kulatunga is directing investigations.