Cash, gold stolen from pawn shop

Sandasen Marasinghe

Four persons had forcibly entered a leading pawn broker's shop at Maharagama town on Sunday and taken away cash and gold valued at over Rs 16 million. Police Spokesman SP Ajith Rohana said that four persons wearing helmets and carrying weapons, had entered the shop around 2pm and taken the valuables and the money after ransacking the safe.

According to the Police, the suspects had not harmed anybody and had only threatened them. The total value of the robbed items is Rs. 16,232,590.34.

The Police said that only two staff members were in the shop at the time of the crime. Only a single private security officer had been stationed at the shop for security duties.

He had been employed to open the centre's door. SP Rohana said that the Police was not informed about the availability of such a large amount of money and valuables at the shop.

The Police has received information about the crime. Two Police teams are investigating. The investigation teams are led by Chief Inspector J Janaka and Crime OIC of Maharagama Police IP Ashoka Ranabahu on the direction of Maharagama Police OIC CI Anuradha Mahindasiri under the supervision of ASP Nishantha Soyza.