PM's complaint leads to arrest of swindlers

Rafik JALALDEEN

Two businessmen who promised to offer lucrative employment abroad to youth were arrested on Tuesday by police acting on a complaint by Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka.

Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said the Prime Minister had lodged a complaint with IGP Jayantha Wickramaratna on March 27 about a series of swindles carried out by unknown persons by promising youth jobs in foreign countries.

"A team from the Police Crimes Division conducting a full scale investigation, arrested two suspects and seized forged documents, Foreign Employment Ministry seals and various identity cards," he added.

He said police seized a haul of forged ID cards of the Media Centre for National Security, a national ID card, and ID card of MP Ravi Karunanayake's body guard, two driving licences, a photograph of one of the suspects with the President, a certificate of appreciation, seals of several ministries and the government logo.

The suspects were residents of Gothami road, Borella and Bomeriya, Kaduwela.