Man pretending as Army Major arrested

Had engaged in extremist activities under different names

A suspect who had been impersonating a major of the Sri Lankan Army Intelligence, has been arrested by the Police Special Task Force (STF) at Soysapura in Moratuwa on Saturday. The suspect identified as Mohammad Nissar Imran alias John Walk had allegedly impersonated a major from the Army Intelligence. The STF recovered a mobile phone, two cameras, a WIFI drone, two laptops, a sword and three army t-shirts from the suspect. The suspect was arrested by a team of the STF Organised Crimes Unit following a tip off from the general public to Director Intelligence SP S. Raththepitiya. The police said that investigations had revealed the suspect believed to be a 26-yearold had engaged in extremist activities under different names.

The STF also recovered several photographs of the Shangri - La Hotel in Colombo from one of the cameras of the suspect

The STF also recovered several photographs of the Shangri - La Hotel in Colombo from one of the cameras of the suspect. It was reported that those photographs were taken at around 9.15 a.m on April 21, a few minutes after the bomb attack of the hotel. STF said the suspect, reportedly a resident of Akkaraipattu, was married to a Christian woman.

Investigations revealed that the suspect had not disclosed his true identity to his wife. She was told that her husband was born in 1981.

The suspect was handed over to the Police Organised Crime Division where he would be investigated after being detained, the police said.