Sharp - eyed policeman ropes in handphone robbers

On the 8th of January Police Constable 1949 Wasala along with other Police Special Task officers were on duty at the Kohuwela bridge in the Pamankade area, when he noticed a vehicle with two different number plates. The front plate was inconsistent with the rear. The false number plates have been fixed by a underworld gang to commit a crime, thought Police Constable Wasala. He then intercepted the vehicle for further examination. The policemen at the barrier found the registered number of the vehicle was JN 6505 but the rear number was 6101.

Following the detection, the three men in the vehicle were arrested, who were later handed over to the OIC Crimes of Wellawatte Police Station, Inspector Amarasekera and OIC Special Investigation Unit of the Colombo South, Sub Inspector Sriyantha. While being interrogated, the suspects broke down and confessed to the police of their modus operandi. The suspects told police that they had robbed people of their cellular phones which, they later sold in Panadura, Maharagama and Galewela areas for a lesser price.

Further investigations revealed that the vehicle had been hired from a person at Kirulapone who ran a Rent-A Car service. Diligent investigations conducted by the police resulted in a major cellular phone robbery being unravelled. Police also learnt that the three men had been arrested earlier by the Galewela and the Wattala police in connection with robberies.

It was revealed the three member gang had used the vehicle to rob cellular phones from persons from different parts of the country. They had robbed expensive cellular phones from persons by threatening to stab them with knives. During the past few months the gang had robbed 35 cellular phones worth more than rupees five lakhs. The stolen phones were sold to gullible buyers in Panadura, Kosgama and Galewela areas.

Later the Wellawatte police recovered 35 stolen phones from persons who had purchased them, in Kohuwela, Dehiwela, Maharagama and Dambulla areas.

Later, the owners of the stolen phones who called over at the Wellawatte police station were able to identify their mobile phones. The three suspects were produced before Mount Lavinia Magistrate who remanded them till 29th January 2009.

According to the Police Media Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunesekera, expensive cellular mobile phones have been robbed or stolen from persons during the past few years. The job of tracing lost mobile cellular phones becomes difficult after the SIM card is replaced.

He said the trend today among the young was to carry expensive cellular phones which they very often 'show off' while travelling in buses or trains. Such persons become easy prey to robbers and thieves who keep a sharp eye on them.

Meanwhile cell phones have become an integral part of life and people have become hooked. Be it at home or office or at a shopping complex we often see people using cellular phones.

Estimates show that over a million cellular phones have been smuggled into the country during the past few years.

We also read in papers on how criminals use these cellular mobile phones to demand ransom from wealthy people and also commit heinous crime.