600 STF personnel deployed to combat crime in WP and SP

By Norman Palihawadana

More than 600 STF personnel had been deployed to combat crime in Western and Southern Provinces, police spokesman SSP NIhal Thalduwa said yesterday.SSP Thalduwa said that the STF personnel had been deployed for mobile roadblocks, search operations and to arrest armed underworld members.

He added that there had been many violent crimes in the two provinces in recent times and those involved in crimes were often former members of the security forces.

The Police, on Thursday night, arrested an Army captain and two others in connection with a murder at Homagama on 21 June. The victim was a person who had tipped off the police about the drug trade in the area, the police spokesman said. The suspects had a T56 and two pistols.

“The captain is attached to an Army camp in Ratnapura. The serial number of the T56 had been erased, so it’s hard to find where they received the gun from. The suspects will be detained for 72 hours and questioned,” he said.