Lightning conductor wires worth 4.1 million belonging to the Central Bank have been stolen.

Colombo Fort Police states that a stock of copper wires, valued at over forty-one lakhs (4.1 million) rupees, which was installed in the lightning conductor system belonging to the old building complex located at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in Colombo Fort, has been stolen by an unknown group. The approximately 288-meter-long copper wires, which were used to cover the upper part of all three interconnected sixteen-story buildings, have gone missing, and their total value has been calculated as Rupees 4,103,568.

In this regard, a director representing the Management Department of the Central Bank officially lodged a complaint with the Fort Police on the 27th. According to the said complaint, it is further suspected that this large-scale theft may have occurred between January 15, 2026, and February 27, 2026.

According to the complaint received, the Criminal Investigation Division, led by Fort Police Station OIC Chief Inspector Dileepa C. Perera, has already commenced extensive investigations into the incident. During these investigations, it has been revealed that an external contract was awarded in March 2025 for the exterior painting of this old building complex. It was also confirmed that the missing lightning conductor cable system was one that was installed to cover the upper part of all three of these buildings.

According to police investigations conducted so far, a senior police officer stated that it is becoming clear that there is no involvement of internal Central Bank employees in this crime, and it was entirely carried out by a group of external individuals. The officer further expressed confidence that all suspects involved would be apprehended by the law very soon.