Five arrested over Mawanella gem theft

2 May 2014 10:13 am

Five persons have been arrested in connection with a theft of gems that took place at a hotel in Mawanella on Monday.

A man who had come on the pretext of purchasing gems allegedly fled in a car with nine gems during the transaction from a hotel at Pahala Kadugannawa in Mawanella on Monday.

Police earlier arrested the broker who had come with the suspect. The main suspect who fled with the gems, the driver of the car and another in disguised as an Arab Sheikh who had come to the hotel pretending to purchase gems were later arrested, along with  a police sergeant who allegedly assisted the accused.

The nine stolen gems had also been recovered. (Lahiru Pothmulla)