Sarath Manula WICKREMA

VAVUNIYA: Three passengers travelling in the Vavuniya mail rain which left Colombo Fort at 9 p.m. on February 22 were robbed of cash and other belongings by unidentified persons after giving them coffee mixed with a poisonous substance to drink.

M. Noordeen and Abdul Raheem of Subuwattapuram, Vavuniya accompanied by another friend had boarded the Vavuniya mail train from Colombo on February 22 to travel to Vavuniya.

They had been carrying Rs. 25,000 each, which they had received from the Rehabilitation Authority to rebuild their homes.

As the train passed Mahawa Station, another passenger seated nearby who befriended them had given three cups of coffee and pestered them to drink it. Minutes after they drank it, they had fallen unconscious.

Noordeen and Raheem who were still unconscious when the train terminated at Vavuniya had been carried in the same train on its return journey to Colombo.

Railway Security which detected them travelling in an unconscious state without valid tickets had carried them and placed them in the Anuradhapura station platform when the train stopped. Noordeen had regained consciousness that afternoon while Raheem had been in a daze.

The duo had later realised that their money and other baggage were missing. The other person who accompanied them had also been missing.

Anuradhapura Chief Station master I. T. H. Premasiri when contacted said he was prepared to offer the duo free tickets to travel to their destination. But since their health condition was not good, they had to hospitalise them on February 23 afternoon for treatment.

Sources said an organised gang operating in trains between Mahawa and Ganewatta on the Northern line had committed a spate of robberies if this nature in recent times.