Culprits behind ‘lost’ mobiles and tablet PCs found

Pilferers were from within the Central Mail Exchange

The Central Mail Exchange (CME) in Colombo is to be fitted with an upgraded CCTV system after several individuals were arrested after having stolen mobile phones and tablet PC’s that were sent to the exchange from abroad.

Eight suspects, including two postmasters were arrested last week on charges of having removed mobile phones and tablet PC’s from parcels that arrived from Dubai at the CME and filled the parcels with waste paper.

Post master General Rohana Abeywardane commenting on the incident said they would tighten security in the premises. “Such incidents have been reported to us before, but this is the first time that individuals have been arrested,” he said.

Abeywardane said they would improve the CCTV network and put in place a better monitoring system.

“We believe that after such measures are taken there won’t be such incidents,” he said. Police said one of the arrested post masters was in charge of the Parcels Department. They also said they had recovered 173 stolen mobile phones and four Tablet PCs.

The foreign mail superintendent at the Mail Exchange had opened the parcels after he noticed them lying around for some time without a claimant and to his surprise found they contained waste paper and not the specified items. His complaint to the police had led to the arrests.

Police had recovered 173 stolen mobile phones and four Tablet PCs