The Criminal Investigation Bureau of Matara Police has arrested three multi-purpose development assistants working in the Matara Magistrate’s Court and two persons who assisted them to steal and sell drugs and firearms which were in the Court Production Room.
Police said that among the other two persons there is also a businessman who owns fishing boats. A revolver stolen from the Court Production Room was also found in the possession of this businessman, Police said.
The businessman has told Police that he bought the weapon for Rs.280,000. Police said that the person involved in the sale of the weapon is also among the arrested suspects. It has been revealed that the suspects stole a T-56 weapon, two revolvers and a pistol from the Court Production Room and sold them to various people including underworld criminals.
An underworld criminal named Moratu Sanjeeva, was shot dead in Dickwella on August 15 with a T-56 weapon which was stolen from the Court Production Room.
The weapon was recovered by the Police Special Task Force less than 24 hours after the shooting.
Information regarding the suspects behind the thefts was after Police initiated investigations following a complaint made by the Registrar of the Matara Magistrate’s Court on July 12.
The complaint had been made in connection with the two heroin parcels in the Court Production Room of Matara Magistrate’s Court going missing.
Police had arrested a multi-purpose development assistant on suspicion. Acting on the information provided by the suspect, Police arrested two other multi-purpose development assistants working at the Court and two other individuals. Police are conducting further investigations related to the incidents.
Gayan Kumara Weerasinghe and Bimal Jayasinghe