Navy personnel arrested for armed robbery

Two navy personnel and a former naval rating have been arrested in connection with several armed robberies carried out in the Beliatta area in the past few days. A T56 firearm along with live ammunition have also been recovered by police while hidden in the home of one of the suspects. 

A special police team arrested the three suspects, aged 29 and 39 years, from Beliatta, Nakulugamuwa and Kudaaheella areas yesterday (1). 

Those arrested from Beliatta and Nakulugamuwa are naval ratings assigned to provide security to the Mirissa Fisheries Harbor while the suspect taken into custody from Kudaaheella had left the navy legally. 

A searh of one of the suspect's homes led police to recover a T56 firearm, along with two magazines and 53 live rounds of T56 ammunition, all of which were hidden in the ceiling of the suspect's home. 

Initial investigations have already connected the suspects to three armed robberies of houses in the Beliatta area in the recent past, as well as another armed robbery carried out last year. 

Among the other items recovered from the suspects are a motorbike, a pair of earrings, a melted down piece of gold and two women's handbags. 

The suspects had also allegedly revealed that the T56 that was recovered had been taken from the LTTE during the war. Investigations are now ongoing to ascertain if the weapon had been used in any other violent crimes. 

Story and Pic by Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi in Hambantota

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