Five suspects were arrested yesterday in connection with the robbery of Rs.7.7 million belonging to a garment and textiles show room in Wattala, recently. The Police said the mastermind who planned the robbery too was among the arrested. He was a former employee of the textiles company.
“The said employee had been sacked by the management of the company after he tried to assault a customer,” Police said.
A group of armed men had fled after robbing nearly Rs.7.7 million belonging to a clothing store while the money was being taken from one of the shop’s branches in Wattala to another branch in Kadawatha in a van on June 26.
The incident had taken place at Ragama at around noon where the armed men had blocked the van with their own vehicle and had taken the money at gunpoint.After taking the money, the gunmen had shot at the van’s tyres before fleeing the scene in a car.
The Divisional Crime Investigation Unit in Peliyagoda had found the suspects hiding at a house in Ragama.
The police had also discovered that the other suspects are residents of Ranna, Tangalle, Embilipitiya.
The police were able to recover Rs.41,51,000 worth cash and the two T-56 assault automatic rifles with 76 live rounds of ammunitions with the suspects.
The suspects were kept in Police detention for further questioning after they were produced to Negombo Chief Magistrate Ruchira Weliwatte, by the Divisional Crime Investigation Unit in Peliyagoda.
Under the instructions given by the Superintendent of Police Kelaniya Division, Upali Jayasinghe, the Officer in Charge of the Divisional Crime Investigation Unit In Peliyagoda, Chief Inspector G.W.L. Ravindra along with other officers are conducting further inquiries.