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Video: Bank robbers wearing full face helmet arrested

28 Apr 2014 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Two men who had allegedly robbed banks in Malabe, Kohuwala, Kirulapona and Rawatawatta while wearing full face helmets were taken into custody in Menikhinna, Kandy by a special police team.

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said the men had recently robbed Rs.770,000 from the Citizens Development Bank in Rawatawatta and prior to that Rs.1.2 million from the NTB bank in Malabe and Rs.2 million from the NTB bank in Kohuwala.

However an attempt to rob the Kirulapona branch of Sampath Bank had failed as two security guards at the bank had managed to foil the attempt.
On that occasion security guards at the bank had attacked the two robbers who had then fled the area leaving their motorbike behind. It is believed that the police were able to identify them as the bike had been registered in the name of one of them.

The two men were identified as Jagath Lasantha Perera of Gonapola and Wasantha Sanjeewa Perera of Galgamuwa.

During the last four months 16 similar robberies had taken place. These two persons are alleged to have committed four of them.

The special police team consisted of officers from the Mount Lavinia police division led by SSP Ravindra Karawita and policemen from the Kohuwala police led by IP Chaminda Edirisuriya.

SSP Rohana said that the suspects were drug addicts. He said a member of the Civil Defence Force (CDF) who had given them shelter had also been arrested.