Funeral parlour employees go on robbery spree WITH corpses

By Suranga Rajanayaka   

In an interesting turn of events, an employee of a funeral parlour in Nawalapitiya and another who parked a hearse with a body on board near business establishments had broken open them and taken away cash and valuables.

They had used the hearse with a body inside to avoid any suspicion by passersby or the police. In the latest incident, they had entered a jewellery shop in Nawalapitiya town and taken away jewellery and the Data (DVR) in the CCTV camera system. 

During investigations, the police arrested the two men and questioned to find their involvement in the racket.
 Police said the suspects had used the bodies handed over to the funeral parlour to carry on their racket. However, the owner of the funeral parlour had not been aware of the incident.   
Under interrogation, the suspects provided information leading to the recovery of jewellery valued at more than Rs. 3.8 million from the body embalming room in the funeral parlour and pawning centres in Anuradhapura, Kandy, Ginigathena and Mihintale areas.   
One of the suspects was the driver of the hearse and the other an employee of the funeral parlour who embalmed the bodies.   
OIC Nawalapitiya Police Harendra Kalugampiriya, SI Suresh, Sergeants 31064 Sugath, 45442 Kumara, 3060 Samanmali, PCs 71958 Niroshan, 55589 Bandara and 35968 Ajantha had conducted investigations on the instructions of SP Dushyantha Herath and SSP Erick Perera.