28 August 2011 08:37 am
The suspects were arrested in the Keselwatta area in Panadura by the Matara police. Police also found a large stock of gold and jewellery that they possessed at the time of the arrest.
During investigations it was revealed that the two men had mortgaged most of the gold and jewellery they robbed, police media spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said.
They took away the items by locking the owners in two rooms as the armed group entered the house by claiming to be from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
The suspects had told the owners that they have received information that a major drug dealer in Devinuwara is hiding inside the house and therefore they had asked the businessman to place jewellery and cash in a separate room.
Subsequently the businessman, his wife and his three children were locked in two rooms and the suspects fled the area in a jeep owned by the businessman. The Lexus jeep worth around Rs.15 million which was taken away by the robbers was found abandoned in Weligama.
The Matara police are further investigating to arrest the other two wanted in connection with the robbery. (By Supun Dias)