Six arrested for treasure hunting offence

Five treasure hunters and a man who aided them by producing explosives were produced before Pillassa Magistrate courts today, Mawathagama police said.

An officer at the Mawathagama police told the Times online that their traffic officers had made the detection of the treasure hunters, when they tried to stop a vehicle which was driven towards Kurunegala on Tuesday night.

The vehicle driver had ignored the signals of the police officers prompting them to chase the vehicle and arrest the driver of the vehicle. However when the traffic officers managed to stop the vehicle four men who were traveling inside the vehicle had fled.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested and found to be under the influence of liquor, when inspecting of the vehicle police had found four swords, nine detonators, explosive substances and drills hidden within the vehicle.

The police had arrested the 44 year old driver, identified as a resident of Siroyala, Dambadeniya area, and produced him to Pillessa magistrate courts on Wednesday. The police also had obtained a detention order to detain the suspected driver to carry out further investigations.

Meanwhile, the officers of the Kurunegala Crime Investigation division had managed to arrest the four persons who had fled the vehicle, those suspects were found at Giriulla, Kotadeniyawa and Meerigama areas.

The four suspects were identified as 37, 39, 40 and 45 year old residents of Meerigama,Ambepussa, Dambadeniya and kotadeniyawa areas.

Police investigations revealed that the four suspects including the driver had travelled to the Bibila area in search of treasure and were returning back on Tuesday.

Further Investigations revealed a resident of Kaleliya who supplied the five suspect’s explosives, therefore another 47 year old resident of Kal Eliya too was arrested.

Officers of Mawathagama police and Kurunegala crime investigation division are carrying out further investigations.