Mobile phone thief on buses arrested

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

Several expensive cellular mobile phones stolen from unsuspecting passengers travelling in buses have been recovered following the arrest of a young man from Ampitiya on a tip off, Police sources told the Sunday Observer.

Police said the modus operandi of the man was to pose off as an executive and travel in luxury coaches. He was immaculately dressed so that no one suspected him to be a pickpocket. However when passengers fall asleep due to exhaustion, his sleazy fingers would dig into pockets of passengers and pilfer the cellular phones.

He was immaculately dressed so that no one suspected him to be a pickpocket. However when passengers fall asleep due to exhaustion, his sleazy fingers would dig into pockets of passengers and pilfer the cellular phones. Sleuths from the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Kandy police arrested the young man on Friday night near the Kandy Railway Goodsshed.

After questioning the suspect police had recovered 18 expensive cellular mobile phones from his home.

Meanwhile the suspect had confessed to stealing 60 Cellular Mobile Phones from passengers.

OIC Special Investigating Unit, Inspector T. B. Wijekoon is investigating. Meanwhile DIG Central Province Pujitha Jayasundara has detailed several policemen in plainclothes to keep an eye on pickpockets during the Kandy Esala perahera season.