A police sergeant attached to the Kompannya Veediya Police Station has been arrested for allegedly stealing a revolver along with 10 rounds of revolver ammunition and 10 rounds of 9mm pistol ammunition from the station’s armoury. The firearm was reportedly sold to an individual identified as Mawathagama Amila for a sum of Rs. 100,000.
The arrest was made by officers from the Colombo Central Divisional Crime Investigation Unit on the night of August 5.
According to police sources, the theft came to light during a routine audit of the station’s weapons and ammunition inventory. The officer in charge of the armoury discovered that a revolver and a quantity of ammunition were missing and immediately reported the discrepancy to his superiors.
Subsequent review of surveillance footage from the station’s security cameras revealed that the sergeant had entered the armoury on the night of July 21 and removed the weapon, concealing it in a hat.
Upon questioning following his arrest, the sergeant confessed to the theft and stated that he had handed over the weapon to Mawathagama Amila. A search of the police barracks where the suspect resided led to the discovery of a hand grenade and a pair of handcuffs hidden inside an iron cupboard used to store his clothing.
Based on the suspect’s statement, police have launched further investigations to locate and apprehend Mawathagama Amila.
