A gang that robbed motorcyclists by stretching wires across the road was caught by the villagers.

Yesterday morning, residents succeeded in apprehending a group of main suspects connected to a network of robberies that had been occurring for a long time, targeting motorcyclists using the road running from Padukka, through Wataraka, to Boraketiya. This organized gang, which had been snatching gold jewelry and money after causing motorcycle accidents by stretching a wire across the road, was thus caught by the villagers in the Boraketiya area itself, and they were later handed over to the Meegoda Police Station.

It has been revealed that the tactic used by this group for their robberies is very subtle and and dangerous. They tie one end of a wire to a tree about three feet high, keep the other end along the road, and hide. As soon as a motorcycle approaches, they suddenly lift the wire. Motorcyclists who collide with this unexpected obstacle fall onto the road, and the robbers take advantage of the situation to snatch valuable possessions from the helpless individuals. It has also been reported that on a previous occasion, a young man who got entangled in this wire trap sustained severe injuries to his neck and narrowly escaped with his life.

Villagers strongly allege that although complaints about such robberies occurring in this area for a long time had been made to the authorities previously, there was no proper intervention from the police. When no positive response was received from the security forces, the residents themselves voluntarily came forward, patrolled the road at night, and stood guard, subsequently apprehending these criminals. After the suspects apprehended by the villagers were handed over to the police, the Meegoda Police have now launched a comprehensive investigation into this criminal network.