A weapons depot inside Kirindiwela CK Cinema

A strange story is reported from the Kirindiwela area, where a cinema, usually providing entertainment, had become a secret arms depot for organized criminals. In a special operation carried out by the Colombo District Crime Division, a 38-year-old millionaire businessman was arrested for possessing terrifying firearms, a large stock of ammunition, and hand grenades.

Police state that he is also the owner of the CK Cinema and maintains direct connections with organized crime gangs.

A secret tip received by the Director of the Colombo District Crime Division, Senior Superintendent of Police Indika Lokuhetti, stating that a stock of weapons was hidden inside this cinema located within the Kirindiwela Police Division, initiated this successful operation. Accordingly, a team of officers immediately raided and searched the cinema, successfully discovering the stock of weapons stored in a back room.

The arsenal taken into police custody included two foreign-made pistols, one revolver, one foreign-made repeater shotgun, and one foreign-made 12-bore shotgun. In addition, a large stock of various types of ammunition was found, including 398 12-bore cartridges, 35 16-bore live cartridges, 278 9mm live cartridges, 49 live cartridges for a .32 caliber weapon, and 3083 cartridges for a .22 caliber weapon. It is also reported that two live hand grenades were taken into police custody.

Based on the information uncovered from the cinema, the spacious house of the suspect millionaire businessman, located in the Millathe area of Kirindiwela, was also subjected to a police search. Investigators were able to find a hand grenade there as well.

This operation was carried out under the instructions of Chief Police Inspector Asanka Suraweera, OIC of the Colombo District Crime Division, and led by Chief Police Inspector Kapila Kariyawasam, OIC of the Organized Crime Investigation Unit.

During initial interrogations of the arrested suspect, he stated that these weapons had been received by him from various individuals over a period, a senior police officer revealed. However, the police further stated that a detention order would be obtained for the suspect for further questioning to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the true purpose of this weapons network and its connections to criminal gangs.