Three suspects escape to Malaysia

Investigations had revealed that three suspects in the Slave Island Rs.10 million robbery case -- a businessmen from Panchikawat- ta and two Tamils from Maskeliya -- had escaped to Malaysia, the Colombo Crime Division said.

They had left the island within a week of the robbery. Sri Lanka police have sought the as- sistance of Interpol to apprehend these persons, said an officer attached to the CCD.

The two Tamils are believed to have been LTTE activists in the Central Up Country during the LTTE’s heyday. Police are searching for an- other suspect in the robbery who was attached to the CID. The Bandaranaike International Airport authorities have been alerted to be on the lookout for him to prevent him from leaving the country.

This robbery was committed on February 12 when a money exchanger of Wellawatta was robbed after he left the bank after withdrawing Rs.10 million.

An attempt by the gang to rob Rs.25 million on the previous day (11) when the money exchanger was travelling after withdrawing the money had failed. According to the plan of the robbers, a former OIC of the Colombo Fort Traffic Unit (who is now under arrest) and a constable were to stop the businessman’s vehicle at Nawam Mawatha, and businessman and his driver were to be taken into custody with the money by an SI of the ministerial security division and a constable in a Defender Vehicle. However, the OIC and the PC had arrived too late to intercept the intended victim.

On the following day (February 12) they had succeeded in carrying out their plan by stopping the businessman’s vehicle on pretext of checking the vehicle’s documents and subsequently abducting them. A former OIC of the Colombo Fort Traffic Division, an SI in the same section and an SI attached to the Ministerial Security Division, a driver in the RDA, a CTB employee and another man are now in police custody.