Negombo robbery suspects nabbed

Robbery of Negombo shop .....
Plan of municipality Opposition leader

Police were able to arrest robbers of the Jewel Lanka Jewellery Shop and foreign currency changing centre in Negombo reported recently. On investigations it was revealed that the robbery was directed by Royce Vijitha Fernando contesting the forthcoming provincial council elections on the UNP ticket.

As such,he was taken into police custody this morning (Feb 22). He had also been the former Opposition leader of the Negombo municipality.

The robbery was conducted by two robbers on Jewel Lanka. On a confession made by one suspect who was produced in courts yesterday (Feb 21) exposed the information that it was planned by Opposition leader of the municipality of Negombo, Royce Fernando.

It is also suspected that as expenditure for the election campaign at hand is high, this robbery was planned with the intention of robbing the establishment concerned.

The robbers who barged into Jewel Lanka last 17th Monday somewhere between 1.30 and 2.00 in the afternoon had first threatened the security guards there and proceeded to keep the customers at the business centre at bay and later had gone ahead with their plan of robbing all cash available without any fear. One of the robbers was armed with a revolver while his accomplice carried on with the activity of collecting the money. As both of them had their helmets on, it was a difficult task to immediately identify them from the CCTV cameras.

The cash they had robbed is supposed to be in the region of 2 crores and before the robbers fled with the money, some person had given a tip-off to the police about this. A police officer of the traffic division who was heading towards Negombo police station had turned into Jewel Lanka and had stopped there and kept watching as to what was happening.

The robbers coming out after their mission was fulfilled had on being seen by the police officer had again pulled out the revolver which was concealed and then started threatening him. Later they had fled on a motor cycle on which they had come. Whatever it is, the said police officer had given pursuit behind the robbers not thinking about the risk to his life. The robbers had travelled along by-roads and turned to Bolawalana area and after travelling going along Parakrama Road near Kurana railway gate one robber had aimed the revolver in his hand at the police officer. At that moment the police officer had not proceeded beyond that point.

The police officer later said that making use of that break the robbers had fled towards Dagonna. It was revealed that the robbers had come on two motor bikes that have been robbed. It was also understood that a short time before the robbery they had purchased their helmets from a shop close to Copra junction.

According to information and evidence received, on investigations carried out by the police they were able to identify the suspects within a short span of only 3 days and had succeeded in arresting them.

Though the suspects did not initially reveal that behind this robbery was a politician of the Opposition Party, later on they were compelled to come out with the truth.

The manner in which the shop was robbed can be seen from the CCTV BELOW