Cop interdicted in Covid-19 nightmare
KEGALLE: A Police Sergeant who had tested positive for Covid-19 was interdicted after he concealed his health condition and reported for duty that led to 15 others being infected with the same virus.
The officer was attached to the Office of the Kegalle Superintendent of Police (SP).Investigations revealed that the suspect had tested positive following a Polymerize Chain Reaction (PCR) test on January 2 and had reported for duty on the same day but opted to remain silent on his health condition.
It was revealed that his wife, son and brother have also tested positive for Covid-19 and are currently placed at Government treatment centres.Some 15 policemen, including a senior officer, together with civilian staff members attached to the Kegalle SP’s office have been diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus following the PCR tests.
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Conductor stabs conductor to death
WELIGAMA: A bus conductor was stabbed to death by another conductor in a semi-luxury public coach as terrified passengers were forced to look on, police said.
They said the bus was moving from the southern town of Matara to Colombo when the incident took place as the vehicle entered Pelana in Weligama on Thursday afternoon. The seriously wounded 51-year-old victim was initially rushed to the nearby Weligama Hospital and later moved to the Matara General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, police added.
Investigations have revealed that the incident had sparked-off following an earlier heated stand-off between the two at a location in Ambalangoda on January 7.
The victim, a resident of Hakmana was also the owner of the bus in which he was attacked, police have discovered.
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Enraged parent shoots dog to death
GALKIRIYAGAMA: An enraged parent is alleged to have shot a pet dog to death after the dog had bitten his son at a location in Halmillewa in Galkiriyagama, police said.
They said the dog had bitten the child when his pedal cycle banged on the animal.
The owner of the dog had later dressed the wound on the child’s leg and assured his parents that the dog had been vaccinated for rabies and there was nothing to fear.
However, later in the night the child’s father is alleged to have sneaked into the dog’s kennel and shot the animal at point blank range before escaping into the night.
The dog’s owner, alerted by the sound of gunfire had rushed to the kennel where she found her pet dead in a pool of blood.
The suspect’s wife is later alleged to have attempted to remove the dead animal along with an empty bullet shell before the police were called in to investigate.
The police have launched a hunt for the suspect who later fled the area.
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Police constable on the mat for graft
MATARA: A police constable was taken into custody for graft after he allegedly demanded Rs. 5,000 from a motorcyclist to drop charges on a traffic offence, police said.
The 51-year-old traffic policeman was picked up from the Matara Police Station by anti-bribery and corruption sleuths in mufti, police added.
According to police the motorcyclist was stopped at an isolated location on the Hakmana-Matara Road by the suspect who demanded to examine the relevant motor traffic papers including the licences.
The cyclist, a poorly paid waiter at a road side kiosk in the area was unable to produce the documents and pleaded with the officer to release him.
The policeman allegedly demanded Rs. 5,000 to reach a deal and the man was required to make the payment the following day at the local police station.
The furious motorcyclist had later brought the matter to the notice of the senior most police official in the division who instructed his officers to apprehend the suspect.
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Female warden arrested on child abuse claims
ANURADHAPURA: The female chief warden of a state-run children’s receiving home in Anuradhapura was arrested in connection with several complaints of sexual abuse and other irregularities on her charges.
The police have so far recorded statements from 52 girls housed at the Avanthi Devi Children’s Home.
The children said that the Home was frequented by elderly males who consumed alcohol with the knowledge of the chief warden.
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Sergeant, two soldiers nabbed for poaching
LUNUGAMVEHERA: An army sergeant and two soldiers attached to the Kuda Oya Special Forces Camp were among four suspects taken into custody for alleged poaching in a forest reserve in Lunugamvehera.
At least 60 kilograms of venison, a large knife used for the slaughter of deer, a weighing scale, one motorcycle, a three wheeler and a military jeep used for the transportation of meat, along with the suspects was recovered by Wildlife officials, according to police.
Wildlife officers raided the suspect’s safe house located deep in the forest reserve following a tip-off, police added.
The suspects were later produced before the Wellawaya Magistrate’s Court and ordered to be released on two personal bonds of Rs. 200, 000 each.
The court also directed that the seized venison be destroyed and the case be taken up again on February 11.
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Woman in fake gold heist claim arrested
DAMBULLA: A woman confidence trickster was taken into custody on Friday after she made a fake complaint to police saying that she had been robbed of gold worth Rs. 12 million, police said yesterday.
The woman was picked up two days after she had made the complaint to the Dambulla Police Station.
She had claimed that she was threatened and robbed at gun-point while she was transporting the jewellery to the Dambulla Town, police added.
Initial investigations have revealed that the woman’s lover had given her the jewellery and that she had already sold the gold to purchase a small property.
The woman had staged the fake heist when her lover needed the jewellery urgently to invest on a business, police said.
The woman had three earlier marriages and was living with her fourth husband.
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Driver freezes as police find ‘Ice’ in bus
GALLE: A driver of a Colombo-bound luxury bus was arrested along with 18 kilograms of Crystal Methamphetamine or ‘Ice’ on Friday morning, police said.
The detection was made by sleuths from the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) following a tip-off, police added.
Initial investigations have revealed that the 27-year-old suspect had distributed the drug at various locations between Galle and Colombo.
According to police the suspect was part of a larger drug network operated by a man under the alias ‘Latty’, who was an associate of drug baron ‘Angoda Lokka’ who died recently in India.
Investigations are currently in progress, the police spokesperson added.
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SJB MP among four held in road-rage incident
MAHARAGAMA: Four persons including the son of former state minister and Samagi Jana Balawegaya Hambantota District parliamentarian Dilip Wedaarachchi were arrested in connection with a road-rage incident at a location in Maharagama on Wednesday, police said.
The suspects are alleged to have assaulted a couple travelling in another car after the two vehicles collided on High Level Road in Maharagama, police said.
The suspects were later released on police bail after both parties agreed to an amicable settlement.
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Two held with cash, gold in Grandpass
GRANDPASS: Two persons, including a close associate of a known narcotic dealer who is currently in jail were picked up from the Grandpass area along with cash valued Rs. 12.6 million and stash of gold earlier this week, police said.
They said the pair was taken into custody in an undercover operation carried out by sleuths from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). According to police the cash found on the two men is believed to have been earned mainly through narcotic operations in the Metropolis and elsewhere.
A senior police official said the two men were to be produced in court and charged with alleged money laundering and narcotic trading.
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Heroin haul in Kosgoda
KOSGODA: Some 20 kilograms of heroin was found hidden deep inside a wooded area in Kosgoda on Tuesday, police said.
They said the find was made by personnel from the Special Task Force (STF) who had searched the area on a tip-off.
The heroin could fetch a street value of an estimated Rs. 150 million, according to police.
No arrests were made at the time of the detection and a search operation is currently under-way to apprehend those linked to the drug consignment.
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Traders protest in Maharagama over demolishment drive
MAHARAGAMA: The police were called in on Friday to neutralise restive traders in Maharagama who were protesting against the decision taken by the authorities to demolish their business enclosures described as unauthorised structures.
The protests began early Wednesday after workers from the Maharagama Municipal Council arrived in the area along with machinery needed for demolishing the structures. The protesters said that officials had been selective with names on the demolishment list and asked the authorities to roll back the decision at the earliest. Police personnel from six stations in the Nugegoda division were deployed to the scene along with anti-riot squads and water cannons needed for crowd control.
The situation was subsequently brought under control and the protesters dispersed peacefully after the authorities said that the decision would be temporarily put on hold.
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Hunt on for gunmen in Rs.40 m heist
The police were yesterday hunting for two gunmen that raided a private financial institute at Miriswatte in Gampaha on Friday afternoon and got away with cash and jewelry worth Rs. 40 million.
Initial investigations have revealed that the helmet clad pair had arrived on a motorcycle.A CCTV grab shows the gunmen leaving the institute with one person holding on to a pistol.Five police teams drawn from the Gampaha Division have been deployed to track down the suspects.
The Gampaha Police are conducting further investigations.