Two police officers attached to the Traffic Division of the Deniyaya Police Station have been commended after their vigilance helped prevent a suspected gold chain robbery targeting a teenage girl.
Police said Constables Chathuranga (82058) and Gimhana (99375) were directing traffic near Deniyaya town on June 13 when they noticed a motorcycle carrying a young girl without a helmet in suspicious circumstances.
As the motorcycle approached the officers, the rider reportedly slowed down and the girl suddenly jumped off the vehicle and attempted to hide near a three-wheeler. The officers stopped the motorcyclist and began questioning him while also taking action over the helmet violation.
A bystander then informed the officers that the girl had claimed she was being taken away against her will.
The officers immediately detained the suspect and brought the girl to the Deniyaya Police Station for further investigations.
Police later found that the suspect had allegedly tricked the girl into getting onto the motorcycle by claiming he was a friend of her father and needed her help delivering documents to him.
Investigations revealed that the suspect’s alleged intention was to take the girl to a deserted location and steal the gold chain she was wearing.
Further inquiries uncovered that the 43-year-old suspect from Kuruwita had allegedly been involved in a similar gold chain robbery in Badalkumbura in 2024 and was a registered offender with an ongoing court case.
The suspect was produced before court on June 14 and remanded until June 24.
Sri Lanka Police praised the two officers for their alertness, noting that their actions helped prevent a serious crime and highlighting the important role played by officers carrying out routine duties in public spaces. (Newswire)
