Main suspect in gold plated racket arrested in Weligama

The operator of a racket involving the trade of selling gold plated lead pellets, under the pretext of pure gold items, had been arrested by the Weligama Police, with another in the act of selling 907 pellets for a sum of Rs 1.8 million. The suspects when produced before the Matara Magistrate courts, were remanded until April 06.

The suspects remanded were from Kekirawa and Ahangama.

The King Pin of this racket was identified from Kekirawa, who had committed similar acts of fraud in Kekirawa and Chavakachcheri areas earlier.

The suspects were arrested following a tip off received by the Weligama Police STF unit. The police had deployed a decoy who had befriended the suspects moving closely with them over a few days. Sources

The King Pin of this racket was identified from Kekirawa, who had committed similar acts of fraud in Chavakachcheri areas earlier

revealed that the suspects had attempted to lure the decoy by accompanying him to a jeweller and showing a genuine gold pellet had first won the confidence of the decoy.

In the Modus Operandi that followed the suspects had shown 907 fake gold pellets to the police decoy, and had handed them to the decoy and accepted a bag said to contain Rs 800,000 promising to accept a cheque for the balance Rs 1 million.the police who had been waiting in ambush had immediately arrested the suspects.

This raid was carried out under the directions of the Matara division DIG A.H.W.C.K. Alahakoon, Matara SP G.H. Marapona and SP W. V. Ginige. A police team comprising of HQI of Weligama police Milan Lasantha Buddhika,, Inspector H.M. Jayathilleke,, SIS Navoda Priyanjana Perera, B.R.S T. Tharunda , police sergeants D.L. S Priyantha (6577) M.K. Sumanasena (59939) PC Sanjaya Dulip Kumara(72924) H.G. Hemachandra (15993) M.G. Priyantha (14736) and Sanjeewa (80232) arrested the suspects.

Meanwhile the wife of the main suspect and two others had also been arrested by the Ambalangoda Police for attempting to sell 1000 fake gold pellets for Rs5.3 million in the Kahawa area.