A Police Sergeant yesterday succeeded in apprehending two armed robbers who attempted to rob Rs.22.3 million from a wholesale trader while the latter was taking the money to a private bank in the heart of Thambuttegama town. Police said that this wholesale trader owns a stall at the Thambuttegama Economic Centre and he is well known among the business community in the town.
He had brought the money in two bags by car as usual to be deposited in the bank yesterday. Police said that when he reached the bank, a security officer of the bank came to his assistance as usual. All of sudden, two men on a motorbike had come and stopped near the car.
Police said that two men wearing full face helmets approached the businessman in the driver’s seat and threatened him at gunpoint and robbed the money. The businessman has been trying to save the two bags, but due to the fear for his life, he allowed the robbers to take the money. He then got out of the car and ran into the bank for protection. As the two gunmen were about to flee with two bags full of money, several bundles of currency notes fell from one of the bags.
Unaware of the incident, Police Sergeant Buddhika Kumara (42313), working in the Miscellaneous Complaints Division of the Thambuttegama Police who had come to the filling station in the town to get fuel for his motorbike had later come to the bank to deposit money.
When he noticed several bundles of currency notes lying on the ground from a bag near a motorbike turned his attention towards cash strewn on the pavement, a woman had come screaming saying that a robbery had taken place. The Police Sergeant had then approached the robbers and grappled with them. One of the robbers had placed the firearm on the Police Sergeant’s chest and pushed him back.At the same time, the other robber had thrown chilli powder on the Sergeant and tried to make a run for it. Police said that the Policemen had used all his skills to subdue the robbers. By then, crowds who had gathered there came to the assistance of the Police Sergeant giving no room for the robbers to make their escape. In the meantime, more personnel from the Thambuttegama Police had arrived at the scene and arrested the robbers.
Police found that one of the robbers was a 48-year-old retired Army personnel who is now employed as a Security guard of the bank,” Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said.
“Investigations have revealed that the security guard had recently found employment in the bank and was on leave on the day the robbery took place. The other robber is a 50-year-old man. Both robbers are from the Thambuttegama area,” Police said.
Add new comment