Hijacked threewheeler caught within half an hour
Two young men and a young girl who stole the three wheeler they were travelling in on Friday morning after beating the driver and dumping him on the road were arrested along with the three wheeler within half an hour of the incident, Thalawa Police said.
They were taken into custody the same day at about 2.30 am at the Karagahawewa road barrier on the Thalawa- Andarawewa road under the instructions of North Central Senior DIG Ravi Wijegunawardena.
The two men arrested aged 22 and 25 years were from Danduwana and Kamburupitiya in the Habaraduwa Police division, while the 15-yearold girl is from Malwana in the Biyagama Police division.
The two men had taken the three wheeler on hire and asked the driver to go to Makulewa in Thambuttegama from there they had proceeded towards Thambuttegama after the young girl got on the vehicle.
On the way the two men had asked the driver to stop and threatened him with a knife, assaulted and dumped him on the road before they drove away. The three wheeler driver was able to go to Thambuttegama Police in a lorry. After he had complained about the incident to the police, a message about the incident was sent to the Anuradhapura Headquarter Operation Unit.
On receiving information from the Operation Unit, the Thalawa Police officers on night patrol duty had been able to stop the three-wheeler after a long chase.
The police had also detected the knife which was used to threaten the three wheeler driver, two identity cards under the same number issued to the 25-year-old suspect and another identity card belonging to a young Tamil woman in Kaithady Nawakkulam area.
The three wheeler driver subjected to assault was admitted to the Thambuttegame hospital for a medical examination.
Further investigations are being carried out by the Thalawa OIC IP Lakmal Wijeratna and a team under the instructions of North Central Senior DIG Ravi Wijegunawardena and DIG Senarath Sadungahawatta and Anuradhapura SSP Ravi Pieris.
The police suspect that the suspects are members of an underworld gang from the South.
The two men arrested aged 22 and 25 years were from Danduwana and Kamburupitiya in the Habaraduwa Police division, while the 15-year-old girl is from Malwana in the Biyagama Police division