Cops do a stickup, come unstuck over the spoils

Two of the gang absconding in Malaysia while CCD outwits hora police to bust them within a week

Colombo's biggest heist of Rs 10 million from a forex dealer, was the brainchild of a communications agency owner and a Sub Inspector (SI) of the Ministerial Security Division (MSD).

They also roped in the Officerin-Charge (OIC) and SI of Colombo Fort Traffic Police, and a PC attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Their plan to rob leading forex dealer N. Devendra, as he drove out from Sampath Bank at Nawam Mawatha, situated in a high security zone in the City, worked until they fell out over the division of the spoils.

To ensure there were no hiccups in the operation, they decided to enlist serving policemen for assistance, as mentioned above. The gang carried out a trial run the previous day, February 11, using a Defender jeep they had borrowed from a car sale dealer from Thimbirigasyaya, on the pretext of showing it to a prospective buyer.

The robbery was a success, though short-lived, as they got away with Rs. 10.2 million.

The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) officers made a breakthrough in less than four weeks.

CCD’s Inspector of Police (IP) Chandana Kaluarachchi involved in the investigations, told the Sunday Times “It took more than a week to establish whether the crime had really taken place, as we had only the statements of the businessman who reportedly lost the money, and his driver, while no clues had been left behind,” he said.

“We followed the route the robbers had reportedly taken, after abducting the businessman and his driver. We managed to locate a private institute with a CCTV camera facing the main road, which had picked up a picture of this particular Defender jeep passing the route. This helped establish that the incident did take place,” he said.

Thereafter, the CCD deployed a team to keep track of forex dealers, as it appeared that the robbers had a good knowledge of the movements of the businessman, to carry out the robbery.

“We found that one of the forex dealers from Colombo Fort had gone missing. He had travel-

To date, only Rs 2.5 million has been recovered, while the rest has been taken overseas. The other suspects had used the money to redeem gold jewellery they had pawned. The Defender vehicle was found back at the car sale in Thimbirigasyaya.

led to Malaysia. His friend too, another communication shop owner in Maligawatte, had travelled to Malaysia. We arrested a suspect from the shop who had come there to instal aluminum fittings,” IP Kaluarachchi said.

“The shop worker was aware of the details of the robbery, as well as those involved in it, because he had travelled in the Defender jeep following the businessman’s abduction,” he said.

Startling revelations of the involvement of policemen came thereafter.

The MSD’s SI who fled the country soon after the robbery, was arrested on his return, while the rest of the ‘police contingent’ too was rounded up.

However, the communication shop owner and the forex dealer are reportedly still in Malaysia.

CCD investigators have been able to piece together how the robbery took place.

On D-day, the Traffic OIC had ordered an SI attached to his division, to ‘assist’ a CID officer arrest a suspect who was withdrawing money from the bank, to give it to the LTTE.

The IP had told the SI, “The CID officer will give you the number of the vehicle to stop, and the CID officer will make the arrest.”

After the forex dealer left the bank around 11.45 a.m., his vehicle was stopped almost opposite the bank, by the SI. The CID’s PC and the MSD’s SI had ordered the businessman’s driver into the Defender, while the businessman was ordered into the rear seat of his own car, and the car driven by the communication shop owner.

Both vehicles had travelled up to the Dematagoda flyover where the car was abandoned, and the forex dealer transferred to the jeep. He and his driver were later dropped off in Kotte.

However, at least Rs. two million of the loot had been hidden by the MSD SI and the communication shop owner. The rest of the gang had argued about their share, as the media had already reported the total amount stolen.

To date, only Rs 2.5 million has been recovered, while the rest has been taken overseas. The other suspects had used the money to redeem gold jewellery they had pawned. The Defender vehicle was found back at the car sale in Thimbirigasyaya.

However, the CCD is carrying out further investigations to ascertain whether the Traffic SI was aware of the robbery, or had been merely following orders from his senior officer.

CCD OIC Hemantha Dickowita told the Sunday Times the breakthrough came despite the absence of any clues to the crime.

“Soon after the crime was committed, people doubted whether this crime would be resolved. Some even thought that, as this took place in a high security zone involving many influential persons, the crime will go unresolved. But we have made a breakthrough in the case,” he said.

“Despite the involvement of police personnel in the crime, the police had acted impartially,” he added.

The investigations were directed by CCD Director SP D.R.L. Ranaweera.