High stakes end a cropper:

26 businessmen held for gambling

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

More than 35 officers of the Central Anti Vice Striking Force (CAVSF) swooped on a luxury gambling den in a coconut estate at Bandirippuwa, Lunuwila last week and arrested 26 wealthy businessmen engaged in unlawful gambling for high stakes, police sources told the Sunday Observer.

According to the police, three wealthy businessmen in the area had been instrumental in organising the illicit gambling in a 15-acre coconut estate.

The gambling was patronised exclusively by over 100 wealthy businessmen from many parts of the country. Police said the gambling had been carried out at Lunuwila for more than three consecutive years.

A week prior to the raid, CAVSF officers disguised as marketing managers on a holiday spree conducted a surveillance mission and learnt that the gambling was carried out on three days of the week. Police also learnt that several men were employed by the businessmen with cellular mobile phones to tip off on police vehicles heading towards Lunuwila on days when the gambling was in progress.

Police recovered ground money amounting to Rs 259,000 along with 26 suspects and their vehicles were handed over to the Marawila police station to be produced in court. IGP Mahinda Balasuriya has directed the CAVSF to conduct the raid following a tip off received by the DIG Narcotics.