Submachine gun found in SLFPer's house smuggled from Dubai

The MP- 5K found in Mawanella SLFP Organiser Imtiaz Cader Mohamed's home was allegedly smuggled into the country from Dubai, concealed in a TV set , a senior police source told the Sunday Times. The smuggled MP-5K is said to have cost the accused Rs 600,000.

Mr Mohamed was arrested Thursday morning, by the Special Task Force (STF), for the possession of 3 unregistered firearms and ammuni- tion at his Kegalle residence. He was remanded till November 2 by the Kegalle Magistrate. The accused is a former Leader of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council. He had been charged with possession of unregistered firearms in 2014.

The three firearms taken into custody include a H&K MP-5K, a type-56 assault rifle and a .12 gauge repeater shotgun. "The presence of several kinds of ammunition, not used by these three firearms, could indicate that the accused had access to, or provided ammunition for, more types of weapons still undiscovered," police said.

The Heckler & Koch MP-5K is a compact submachine gun (SMG) in the infamous MP-5 family of weapons. 'MP' stands for 'machine pistol', a European name for SMG. Another MP-5 SMG made headlines in June, when it was used in the Matara jewellery shop robbery, which resulted in the death of a policeman.

The MP-5K is a close quarters weapon. Created for use in confined spaces, it is optimally suited both for active engagement of individual targets and for personal defence. With its low weight and compact size, it offers a decisive advantage, as it can be concealed on the person without limiting the carrier‘s freedom of movement.

In Sri Lanka, as in many foreign countries, the MP- 5K is used mainly by specialized Law enforcement and Military units for VIP/ dignitary protection duties, anti- hijack and hostage rescue. Locally, the weapon is primarily used by Army Commandos and the STF.