Five arrested with firearms for threatening, attacking prison officer in front of his mother, sister

Five suspects were arrested along with three firearms and ammunition for threatening and assaulting a prison officer attached to the New Magazine Prison in Colombo at his residence in Minuwangoda recently.

The Homicide and Organized Crime Investigation Division and Minuwangoda police launched investigations after a group of unidentified armed men had attacked and threatened the officer with death on May 12.

The armed men, who arrived at the officer's Minuwangoda home wearing jackets and with their faces covered, had threatened the prison officer stating, "What kind of a person are you to stop heroin in the prison when anyone can't stop drug trafficking in the country?" They had also attacked the officer's mother, taken his sister's mobile phone and smashed it on the floor and then had made the officer kneel down and handcuffed him before taking photographs and leaving the house.

Police said two suspects were arrested on Wednesday along with firearms and ammunition and three more suspects were arrested yesterday following the interrogation of the two suspects.

Police also found the van they used for the incident and 49 grams of ICE drugs from the possession of a suspect.

The suspects, aged between 25 and 45, residents of Biyagama, Heiyanthuduwa and Kiriwaththuduwa are to be produced before court.(Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)