Army commences separate probe into theft of over 70 assault rifles from undisclosed military camp

By Norman Palihawadane

Army Commander Lt Gen Lasantha Rodrigo said yesterday that the Army had commenced a separate investigation into the incident of over 70 T-56 assault rifles going missing from an undisclosed Army camp.

Lt Gen. Rodrigo told The Island that this new investigation was in addition to the police probe being conducted by the Colombo Crime Division and the CID.

Meanwhile, police said that 13 soldiers had been apprehended as of last Sunday in connection with the incident.

Police Media Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manatunga said that it was too early to reveal further details as they were to make more arrests and to trace the missing weapons.

The police probe commenced with the Wellampitiya police nabbing a person with a pistol last week. Under interrogation the suspect told police that he had purchased the pistol from a Civil

Defence Force member in Welikanda.

The CDF member was later nabbed by the CCD at Welikanda, and acting on information from him, police recovered a T-56 with 11 rounds of ammunition from Kotawila, Matara, on Friday. The arrest followed an earlier recovery of another T-56 rifle and a grenade in Ruhunuketha, Welikanda, which the suspect was allegedly attempting to sell.

Investigations have revealed that the suspect had sold one more T-56, with ammunition, for Rs. 200,000.

The suspect being held under 90-day detention order revealed further information and the CCD and CID were able to make more arrests. Police are also investigating whether the missing firearms have been used in criminal activities.