Illicit car sale racket bared

An alleged car sale racket masquerading as a rent-a-car business operating from Tennekumbura has been bared with the arrest of six persons who have been remanded by the Kandy Magistrate, while one more is alleged to have gone abroad and another is evading arrest.

The racket involves the fabrication of false number plates, altering of engine numbers of vehicles and then selling them in all parts of the country, including the North and East.

The breakthrough came when a person in this racket was arrested at Kalutara South on the instructions of DIG Sirisena Herath, leading to the arrest of the other five. The first detection had taken place at Batticaloa. A number of vehicles are alleged to have been sold in various areas.

Chief Inspector H.M.Seneviratne is conducting inquiries on the instructions of Kandy Division SSP Jagath Abeysirigunawardene.