At Welimada, police arrested a much wanted gang of five who had robbed a van and later broke into a chemical store at Welimada and were getting away with Rs 25,000 in cash.
OIC Welimada police Ratnayake Bandara said the gangsters were arrested by a police team that was on its way to investigate an incident of bombing in a nearby estate. They were arrested when two of the robbers had been walking away suspiciously from the van where the other three were in.
Police had recovered a galkatus, a hand grenade, a pistol and two knives form the gangsters. One of them was a member of the group that had attacked the Pinwatta police station in an attempt to recover a seized motorcycle.
The gang had also been wanted for committing robberies in Wadduwa, Panadura and Pinwatta, They were produced before the Welimada Magistrate and remanded.
At Embilipitiya, a gang of five robbers who had broken into a restaurant and remove Rs 25,000 in cash and Rs 5,000 worth of jewellery were arrested at Kuttigala by the Embilipitiya police.
HQI Embilipitiya police Bandara Heentenne said when they were arrested they had with them two cellular phones, a galkatus, two pistols, 28 rounds of live ammunition and two six-inch knives.
They had been wanted for robberies at Tangalle, Weeraketiya, Suriyawewa, and Sevanagala. They were produced before the Embilipitiya Magistrate and remanded.
In another incident, the Moragahahena police had arrested two brothers who were wanted by police for housebreaking and theft at Moragahahena, Horana, and Ingiriya.
OIC Moragahahena police Kavinda Piyaratne said the suspects were living with their mother and had been subsisting by breaking into and robbing houses. They were produced before the Kesbewa Magistrate who ordered them to be under probation care till October 7.
At Mihirigama, police arrested a drug addict who broke into pharmacies, stole fast moving commodities and sold on pavements.
OIC Mihirigama police Willot Bandara said the suspect had been addicted to drugs from the time he was 18 years old. He required at least Rs 1,500 a day to purchase his drugs. Several packets of milk powder had been recovered from his house.
He was produced before the Mihirigama Magistrate and remanded.
In the two incidents of robberies reported, in Kalutara south, seven armed gangsters had stormed a grocery shop and removed Rs 170,000 worth of cash and jewellery form the owner and employees.
HQI Kalutara South Jayantha de Silva said the gangsters had been clad in camouflage uniforms and entered the shop as customers. Investigations are continuing.
At Hakmana, a gang of five armed men had entered a store, threatened the owner and employees and got away with Rs 55,000 worth of cash and jewellery.
OIC Hakmana police W.S. Priyantha said the gangsters had come in a van and entered the shop in the pretext of being customers. Investigations are continuing.
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2004/10/04/news/01.asp)
