Mastermind quizzed over spate of robberies

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

The mastermind who allegedly employed several criminals from the outstations to rob business establishments in the Western province was taken in for questioning along with an accomplice when a team of police officers from the Central Anti Vice Striking Force (CAVSF) raided his home at Horana, police told the Sunday Observer.

This came to light when two persons who attempted to rob a shop at Horana were apprehended by people who rushed to the aid of the shopkeeper on hearing screams. The suspects demanded cash from the shopkeeper and had threatened to shoot him. The Horana police had grilled the suspects on their modus operandi.

On a tip off, CAVSF officers raided the house of a suspect at Horana and found 39 motor-cycles, 19 National Identity Cards of various persons, 27 cellular mobile phones without Sim cards, two VCD sets with two lewd cassettes, a forged rubber stamp of a professor of the Moratuwa campus and a forged rubber stamp of the principal of Taxila College, Horana.

CAVSF's OIC, Inspector Duminda Balasuriya said of the 39 motor-cycles seized four motorcycles had bogus number plates without any valid registration papers.

He said the mastermind at Horana had provided motor-cycles for criminals who came from the outstations to rob business establishment in the Western province. "The mastermind was behind a spate of robberies in the Western province for quite some time.

Soon after committing a crime, the suspects returned to the villages, making it difficult for the police to trace," he said.

Under the direction of DIG Staff, Police Headquarters, D. A. Fonseka, SSP Jayantha Perera and ASP A. Ranaweerea have launched an investigation to probe into the activities of the mastermind taken in. Police said that more suspects are to be taken in from the outstations.