'Hora' police

Rafik Jalaldeen

Police arrested a gang of five robbers along with arms and robbed jewellery when they were returning after breaking into a house at Maikkulam, Chilaw posing as police personnel.

The Chilaw Crimes OIC stopped a trishaw at a road block in Chilaw on Sunday at midnight and observed five suspects inside the three-wheeler wearing camouflage T-shirts underneath their shirts.

"A police team searching the trishaw on suspicion recovered a pistol, a hand grenade and two toy pistols which resembled true weapons," Police spokesman Senior DIG Nimal Mediwake said.

On questioning, the suspects have revealed that they were returning after robbing a house in Maikkulam, Chilaw posing as police personnel, DIG Mediwake said. He noted that following further interrogation police found two trishaws and a stock of robbed jewellery valued over Rs.150,000.

The gang members were residents of Hanwella, Ganemulla, Anamaduwa and Deraniyagala. "It was found that the suspects were related to many other crimes," he added.

Chilaw police is investigating.