Police have arrested the alleged mastermind and driver behind the Rs. 80 million robbery at a tourism and foreign employment agency in Thalawathugoda, where masked men stormed the premises, forced employees to kneel, and escaped with cash and gold jewellery.

It is reported that the suspect was apprehended in Mulleriyawa during a raid by the Western Province Southern Crime Division. Officers recovered Rs. 18.5 million from the stolen money, the vehicle used in the crime, and a stolen motorcycle.

The robbery took place on September 1, when three armed men broke into the agency, threatened staff with death, assaulted them, and fled with about Rs. 65 million in cash and 30 pounds of gold jewellery worth Rs. 15 million.

Police investigations have revealed that the arrested suspect had previously worked as a deputy representative at the same agency. He was heavily indebted, having failed to repay Rs. 15 million borrowed from the agency’s owner. 

Police said the suspect admitted that public humiliation at a recent wedding in Mulleriyawa, combined with his debt burden, motivated him to plan the robbery.

Unable to carry out the crime alone, he enlisted the help of a former civilian employee of the Nawagamuwa Police, who then connected him with two others from Bomiriya. 

About a month before the robbery, the group met at a house in Siddamulla, Piliyandala, to plan the operation. They used a rented vehicle from a Hanwella financial institution, fitted with fake number plates, to execute the crime.

After the robbery, the gang regrouped at the Siddamulla house and divided the loot. The mastermind received Rs. 20 million, the former Police employee took Rs. 15 million and the gold jewellery, while the other two received Rs. 8 million each.

The Police said from his share, the mastermind gave Rs. 5 million to a friend in Bomiriya for safekeeping, used Rs. 1.3 million to reclaim a mortgaged plot of land, and repaid loans taken from several women in Mulleriyawa. Police have since recovered all but Rs. 300,000 of the stolen money.

Authorities confirmed that information about the other suspects has been uncovered, and arrests are expected soon. 

The arrested chief suspect is to be produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court for an identification parade, while investigations continue. (Newswire)

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Police have launched an investigation into a Rs. 60 million robbery at a travel agency in Thalawathugoda.

According to reports, three masked men stormed the premises yesterday afternoon, threatening the owner and employees with sharp weapons. 

The gang arrived in a small white car, carried out the robbery, and fled in the same vehicle.

Investigators said the suspects first assaulted one employee before seizing the cash and valuables. 

The incident was captured on CCTV footage, which is now being examined by police.

It has been revealed that the robbers stole more than Rs. 60 million in cash, along with four gold necklaces and three gold rings worn by the institution’s owner.

The Thalawathugoda Police are continuing investigations to track down the suspects. (Newswire)

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The Walana Central Anti‑Vice Strike Force raided nine brothels operating under the guise of massage centers in the Thalawathugoda area, it was reported.

According to media reports, 43 individuals including 34 women were arrested during the raid. 

The raids targeted establishments engaging in illicit activities under the guise of massage centers. (Newswire)

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Three individuals who were injured in a fire that broke out in a restaurant at Thalawathugoda Junction today, have succumbed to their injuries, it was reported. 

According to media reports, hospital sources have confirmed that the three injured individuals have died.

A fire broke out in a restaurant at the Thalawathugoda Junction this morning, during which three persons were rescued and admitted to the Colombo National Hospital. 

Several fire trucks were deployed to contain the blaze, while the cause for the fire was yet to be ascertained. Police investigations are underway into the incident. (Newswire)

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Three people have been injured in a fire reported at a restaurant near the Thalawathugoda Junction today (09).

According to the Police, the injured individuals have been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital. 

Several fire trucks have been dispatched to contain the fire. 

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the Police added. (Newswire)

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A modern automotive digital scanner used to automatically start vehicles had been utilised to steal the vehicle which was reported missing from the Thalawathugoda area last week (27), Police investigations have found.

According to Daily News, a car worth nearly Rs. 10 million belonging to a bank officer from Athurugiriya was reported to have been stolen from the car park of a medical centre in Thalawathugoda.

The Thalangama Police which had launched an investigation into the robbery had arrested two suspects and recovered the car within 24 hours of the incident. 

A machine containing modern technology which could automatically start a car after scanning was found in the possession of one suspect who was taken into custody from a house in Kaduwela.

Police investigations found that the suspect had purchased the machine through an advertisement on the internet for Rs.60,000.

Meanwhile, the second suspect was found to be in possession of more than 2,000 SIM cards of various types. (NewsWire)

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Two suspects have been arrested over the robbery of a vehicle that was reported missing from the Thalawathugoda area on May 27.

The Police stated that the Thalangama Police had apprehended the two suspects based on a tip-off yesterday.

The stolen vehicle had been recovered by the Police, while another vehicle used to carry out the robbery, two mobile phones, a number of SIM cards, and equipment used to unlock the vehicle had been seized from the suspects’ possession.

The Police stated that the arrested suspects are residents of the Thihagoda and Kaduwela areas aged 32 and 39 years.

The suspects will be produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today. (NewsWire)

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