Five including two army officers arrested over theft of rifles from police station

Five persons including two army officers have been arrested over the theft of two T-56 rifles from the Panadura North police station.

Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said that one suspect had been arrested yesterday (Sept 9) in connection with the shooting of two policemen  in Akuressa recently.

The police officers had been shot using a T-56 rifle while giving chase to three persons who had been travelling on a motorcycle without a number plate.

Following a questioning on the suspect, three persons including two army officers attached to the Army Camp in Panadura had been taken into custody by the police.

Two T-56 rifles, two magazines, and live ammunition had been recovered upon information obtained from the suspects. It had later been revealed that the rifles had been stolen from the Panadura North police station in July this year.

Further investigations had led to the arrest of one more suspect believed to have been involved in the shooting incident.

(Reporting by Damith Wickramasekara)