Police foil daring robbery
Main suspect killed, manhunt on for others:
Through an elaborate network of informants the Colombo North police
intelligence unit headed by SP Palitha Siriwardena got wind of a robbery
that a group of underworld men were planing at Maharagama. The
underworld men knew the pawn brokerage shop at Maharagama had a
stockpile of gold jewellery worth more than Rs 50 million.
The three member gang happened to be the lieutenants of the notorious
bandit named Wannaku Watte Waduge Nuwan Harshana Fernando alias Sanbaba
who was known among the villagers of Wadduwa. He terrorised residents of
Wadduwa and Panadura for a considerable period of time and was involved
in several murders, robbery and rape. Sanbaba was involved in the
killing of a police Sergeant attached to the Waskaduwa police station.
He was finally shot dead by the police when he attempted to lob a
grenade at a policeman at Weragama Wadduwa. He was led to a jungle by
the police to recover a T 56 weapon used in the killing of a police
sergeant last year.
Regrouped
After Sanbaba was killed the gang members re-grouped and continued to
rob business establishments that brought them easy money. After all they
were accustomed to lead an ostentatious and a luxurious life with
ill-gotten money. They had a sinister plan to rob a pawn brokerage shop
at Maharagama that had a flourishing business. The pawn brokerage shop
was located on the High Level Road opposite a private bank. The gang
worked out a meticulous plan to rob the pawn shop. Their modus operandi
was to familiarise themselves with employees of the pawn shop.
Thereafter they called over at the pawn shop frequently to pawn gold
jewellery. They pawned gold rings and redeemed them often to show that
they were genuine customers. The pawn shop employees also had no reason
to suspect them and believed they were genuine customers.
Meanwhile police had credible information that the underworld men
were planning to rob the pawn shop on 24th December. On the instructions
of the Colombo North DIG Daya Samaraweera several armed policemen in
civvies from the Colombo North police station were despatched to
Maharagama and deployed near the pawn shop on 24th December to keep an
eye on the robbers and to apprehend them. They took up positions near
the pawn shop early in the morning before the shop opened for business.
They stayed there until dusk but there weren’t any trace of the
robbers. Police subsequently called off the assignment when they came to
know the car in which the robbers travelled had met with an accident at
Moratuwa. The gang was on their way to Maharagama when the mishap
occurred. It was a kind of a bad omen for them, commented a police
officer.
Business
However on 26th December , the shops in Maharagama town opened for
business as usual. On the instructions of DIG Colombo North, Daya
Samaraweera a team of policemen in civvies from the Colombo North took
up positions near the pawn shop for the second occasion. Police had
credible information that the gang was planning to rob the shop that
morning. While policemen waited impatiently for the robbers, they
noticed a man entering the pawn shop soon after the shop opened for
business.
“He was in a state of excitement.” police said. Police apparently
learned the man had come there to redeem a gold ring which he pawned a
few weeks back. He told the employee that he was in a hurry and wanted
him to open the safe and hand over his gold ring.
Minutes ticked by and when the safe was opened the man dug into his
trouser pocket and pulled out a pistol. He then aimed the pistol at the
employee and demanded the gold jewellery in the safe. The pawn shop
employee froze and was speechless when the robber aimed the pistol at
him.
A few minutes later a police inspector in civvies walked into the
shop followed by a sub inspector to see what was happening. They heard
the commotion inside the shop.
The suspect also noticed the inspector speaking to someone with his
mobile phone. Sensing danger the suspect pushed aside the inspector who
then slumped to the ground.
He then aimed the revolver at the Sub Inspector and was about to fire
when the Sub Inspector fired two shots from his revolver. The shots
fatally wounded the suspect who fell inside the shop.
The man was identified by the police as Premaratne, the leader of the
gang.
Following the shooting incident police arrested another suspect
outside the pawn shop while the third suspect escaped in a car.
Meanwhile police recovered the motor cycle, a foreign made pistol
along with a locally manufactured pistol, a knife brought by the men.
Following interrogation, police learnt the suspect in custody was
involved in a string of robberies of pawn brokering shops and business
establishments at Wellawatte and in the Dehiwela areas along with
Premaratne, the deceased suspect.
Although both men have been enlarged on bail by courts the two men
failed to attend courts thereafter. “There were several warrants for
their arrests,” police said.
A senior police officer told the Sunday Observer following the
attempted robbery a manhunt has been launched for the arrest of the
third suspect who escaped in a car.
“We have detailed several teams for the arrest.”
Police are also investigating whether the car in which the two
robbers travelled was a stolen one.
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