‘Kachcheri’ forged security IDs

S N Godamunna, Gampola Group Corr

*Clients’ needs met in 15 minutes:

*Hi-tech equipment used :

A bogus ‘Kachcheri’ which provided forged identity documents and certificates to clients including forgeries of State and Security sector IDs and documents in Kandy was busted by the Police.

According to Police the bogus ‘Kachcheri’ operators had been able to meet the clients’ needs within 15 minutes by using hi-tech equipment to make the forgeries.

Officers with the seized equipment after raiding the bogus Kachcheri. Picture by S N Godamunna

Police said the operators had the ability to produce forged IDs and documents of Presidential Security Division, Security Forces, Police and State sector institutions among others.

The breakthrough had come when the Police found certain forged documents in the possession of a man arrested in Nawalapitiya, who had allegedly posed as a PSD officer and had collected over Rs six million from several people with the promise of jobs at the Hambantota port. The Police had later sent an under cover officer posing as a friend of the arrested suspect to obtain a forged ID similar to ones used by PSD officials, which the operators had agreed to.

A team of officers from the Nawalapitiya Police had raided the bogus ‘Kachcheri’ in Kandy town, when the transaction was taking place and had arrested three suspects along with the equipment they used.

Investigations have been launched to ascertain the scope of activities of the arrested suspects with the possibility of them providing documents to terrorists and other criminal elements been investigated.

The PSD, the Terrorist Investigations Division and the Army Intelligence Division are assisting the Police.

The raid was conducted under the guidance of Central Province senior DIG Gamini Navarathne, Gampola division SSP Roshan Fernando and SP B G Wimaladasa.

Nawalapitiya OIC Udaya Wickremasekera, SI Chandra Malwatte, Officers Wijetunge, Priyantha, Sarath, Samanmali, Ajith and Kumari took part in the raid.