Long arm of the law rounds up bogus policemen

A three-member gang of robbers who posed as policemen of a special crime investigation unit in the Western Province and robbed several unsuspecting men of their valuable gold chains and rings were arrested by a police team led by the Thalangama Special Crime Investigation unit, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Sub Inspector of police Hemantha Kumara and his team after conducting relentless investigations on numerous complaints made by victims of such robberies.

According to the police the main suspect was a hardcore criminal known as Chamara, of Kosgama wanted by police stations in the Western Province for committing serious crimes such as robberies and house breaking and rape.

He had committed the crimes in Nugegoda, Kelaniya and Wattala. Although there were several warrants for his arrest, he evaded arrest during the past few years.

Action

He was a well-built man who often resembled a police officer.

The Talangama and Athurugiriya police stations were inundated with complaints of robbery and they had no clue as to who committed the robberies. Nine cases of robberies were reported from Nugegoda police division this year alone, four from Athurugiriya and another four from Talangama and one from Wellampitiya areas.

The police were galvanised into action when the number of complaints piled up at Talangama and Athurugiriya police stations.

DIG Western Province South, Sumith Edirisinghe and SSP Nugegoda Division, Shavindra Fernando mapped out a strategy to nab the suspects. With years of experience behind them, in criminal investigation they realised that intelligence with regard to criminals who operate in the areas was dismal. The two senior police officers briefed OIC Talangama police station, Inspector Perera and OIC Crimes, Sub-Inspector Hemantha Kumara on the need to set up a network of informants to gather intelligence on underworld gangs. The strategy paid off and before long information on criminals and their hideouts started flowing into the Talangama police station. What caught the attention of OIC Talangama and OIC Crimes, Hemantha Pushpakumara was about a man named Chamara (27). He was a robust man who was wanted in connection with the rape of a woman and several house+breaking cases in Kosgama and in the Avissawella areas. He was an Island Reconvicted Criminal (IRC). Police knew his modus operandi. He was quite adept at posing as a police officer to hoodwink gullible people with the intention of stealing their valuables such as gold jewellery and mobile phones. The complaints made to Athurugiriya and Talangama police stations by robbery victims were similar in description and design. They said three men posing as police officers had whisked them away in a three wheeler while they were on their way to attend to their day-to-day business.

One man who introduced himself as a policeman said he wanted to question them regarding their gold jewellery and mobile phones. After proceeding for a while in the three wheeler, they would stop and inform their ‘OIC’ from a mobile phone that it was necessary to question them. The man said it was necessary to ascertain whether the goods were not stolen property. The burly man who said he was a police officer talked on the mobile phone to his ‘OIC'. “Sir, I have reason to suspect the gold chain or the mobile phone that this man has in his possession are stolen ones. You have to question him further. I shall bring him over to you, sir.” He would pretend as if he was talking to his superior to hoodwink the unsuspecting men who had fallen prey to his gimmicks.” police said.

Victims

The bogus policemen then take their victims to a lonely boutique and get them to remove their valuables in the three wheeler. After collecting the valuables they instruct the victims to write down the description of the items on a piece of paper.

While the unsuspecting men alight from the three wheeler, the robbers drive away with the loot leaving the victims stranded on the road. On a tip off, a police party led by OIC Crimes Hemantha Pushpakumara arrested the most wanted criminal, Chamara and his accomplice from a hideout in the Avissawella area. They confessed to the police about the robberies committed in Wickremasinghepura and Hokandara.

Police have traced the haul of stolen property at pawn brokering shops at Kiribathgoda, Borella and Athurugiriya. The three wheeler they had used belonged to a woman who resides in the Kohuwela area. She apparently had rented out the vehicle to one of the robbers on a rental of Rs. 300 for a day, police said.

It is not yet known whether the woman, had any knowledge of the robberies committed by the suspects.

The police are looking for three more suspects linked to the robberies in the Western Province. “A striking feature of the robberies was that all the victims were middle-aged men who wore expensive gold jewellery,” police said.