Hijacked Indian HC van recovered

Rafik Jalaldeen

COLOMBO: A van belonging to the Indian High Commission hijacked last month in Ja-Ela was recovered in Kurunegala on Tuesday by the Colombo Criminal Division and the CID. A suspect was taken into custody along with the van, police media spokesman Senior DIG Jayantha Wickramaratne said.

The vehicle was hijacked by a group of armed men on April 10 in Ja-Ela on its way to the Bandaranaike International Airport. The driver was released later.

According to DIG Wickramaratne, the vehicle was seized along with a suspect in the Kurunegala area. “The vehicle was about to enter the East when it was recovered,” he added.

The CCD and CID are jointly conducting investigations.

Asked about measures taken to put a halt to abductions in Colombo, DIG Wickramaratne said a special police team and the CID were conducting in-depth investigations into the matter.

“Due to security reasons we cannot reveal the details until the investigations are complete,” the DIG said.

Senior DIG Illangakoon said security was beefed up during Vesak following the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. “We had information that the LTTE was going to target some public places in Colombo City and its suburbs during the festive seasons,” he said.

Security was strengthened jointly by police and the military in the Colombo city and the public celebrated the festive season without any problem. “ A large number of Vesak sightseers were seen in the city with no incidents reported. This is proof of the effectiveness of our security measures,” he added.