A youth allegedly involved in robbing laptops, mobile phones and digital cameras from houses along the coastal line between Kollupitiya to Mount Lavina has been arrested by the Athurugiriya police,.
Athurugiriya’s crimes division Officer in Charge J. Dissanayaka said the 20-year-old suspect from Embilitpiya had married and settled down in Colombo with two children and worked at night clubs and hotels.
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| The hi-tech haul. |
He said the modus operandi of the suspect was to track those who possessed laptop computers, expensive mobile phones and digital cameras and robbed the items. In most cases, the suspect had entered through the windows by removing the grill and he had continued his burglaries for more than one and a half years.
Sub Inspector Dissanayake said most of his victims were locals and foreigners living in guesthouses and tourist hotels along the beach from Kollupitiya to Mount Lavinia.
The suspect had confessed to have robbed 21 laptops and police had so far recovered 11 of them, the SI said adding that they also recovered 11 digital cameras and 11 mobile phones.
The arrest of the suspect came after detectives led by Sub Inspector Anil Jayaratne tracked down a laptop and two mobile phones the suspect had robbed from a house in Athurugiriya. These items were found in the possession of a friend who had bought them from the suspect.
Police said the suspect would dispose of the stolen items fast to avoid being arrested. He had confessed that he would sell a Rs. 100,000 worth laptop for Rs. 30,000, police said.
They said some of the owners of the laptops had called over at the police station and to identify their stolen items. |
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