Author name: Tharindu Withanage

You should be careful not to forward the OTP related to your online accounts or the OTP related to your WhatsApp account to any other party based on information received through the Whatsapp application via a call or SMS. Once the control of your WhatsApp account is taken over, even by a close relative, they may send short messages to your friends and try to obtain money by deceiving them. A number of complaints regarding such money scams are still being received by the Criminal Investigation Department. Since adults and teenagers, who use modern mobile phones without sufficient technological knowledge, can be victims of such scams, measures should be taken to raise their awareness in this regard.

A three-wheeler driver has been arrested by the Pettah Police Station on 30. 07. 2025, for stealing gold jewellery by strategically befriending people who boarded his three-wheeler for hire and giving them a drink spiked with knock-out drugs on the way and rendering them unconscious. According to complaints received so far, the suspect had defrauded two passengers, stealing gold jewellery worth approximately Rs. 2.5 million. Further investigations revealed that the suspect had prepared this drink using tablets and a special powder, kept it in his three-wheeler and has been working as a three-wheeler driver waiting for an opportunity and potential victim. It is reported that the officers of the Pettah Police Station had to conduct an extensive investigation by examining CCTV footages in the crowded city of Colombo to arrest the suspect. Investigating officers recovered stolen gold jewellery and the documents obtained from pawning the stolen jewellery, from the possession of the suspect.

Based on a piece of information received, a team of officers from the Police Station Galle Harbour conducted a raid near the Fishery Harbour in the Galle Harbour Police Area on 30.07.2025, and arrested a suspect, along with a pistol manufactured in a foreign country, five (05) 09 mm bullets, two other persons who had arrived with the said suspect, and a motor vehicle.  The 45, 54 and 56-year-old suspects are residents of China Bay and Dodanduwa areas. The Galle Harbour Police are conducting further investigations into the suspects and the firearm.  

The individual who attempted to kill a person by shooting in Wanathamulla of Borella Police Area on 24.06.2025 was arrested by the Special Operations Unit of the Police Special Task Force on the evening of 23.07.2025 in Kidula of Ambalantota Police Area. Based on a piece of information, three suspects, who were in possession of 13 grams and 90 milligrams of narcotic ice, 11 grams and 60 milligrams of narcotic ice, and 12 grams of narcotic ice respectively, were arrested during a raid in Kidula. When they were produced to the Ambalantota Police Station, it was revealed that one of them was the suspected shooter, and that the other two suspects had aided and abetted the act. The Ambalantota Police Station is conducting investigations into the three suspects and the criminal network to which they are connected.  

The incident – Police Constable 85717 Nandana Padmasiri, attached to the Lunugala Police Station, who was on his way to Badulla for sports training, on the morning of 23.07.2025, had seen a handbag lying on the road near the 13th mile post on the Passara–Badulla road.   He took action to inspect the bag, since it was irresponsible to ignore such a suspicious situation as a police officer, and he had discovered a bundle of currency amounting to One Hundred Seventy Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty Rupees in the bag. Having assumed that the bag might belong to a teacher, based on the documents found inside, he may have understood the reason for a teacher to keep such an amount of money in her bag.   After the bag was handed over without delay to the Officer in Charge of the Passara Police Station, which is the nearest police station, as the most appropriate course of action, and after the Officer in Charge had confirmed within a short period of time that the rightful owner of the bag was a teacher at the Passara Central College, steps have been taken to duly return the bag to her.   “She must have been in tremendous stress when she realised that the money, which was carried for depositing for purchasing question papers for the students, was lost on the way.    If it was not for Police Constable Nandana Padmasiri, it would have been an extremely difficult task for her to find the said amount, which is a large amount compared to her salary.”   This good deed performed by Officer Nandana as a law-abiding citizen is truly commendable, irrespective of the fact that he is a police officer.  

A group of three people, including a woman, that steals three-wheelers after smearing chilli powder on the eyes of the driver while pretending to travel as a group of three people carrying a child was arrested by the Mount Lavinia Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau on the morning of 21.07.2025 at the Polgasowita area of the Kahathuduwa Police Area. The two male suspects were first arrested and were found to be in possession of 6700 milligrams of heroin and 5300 milligrams of heroin. During interrogation, it was revealed that they had stolen three-wheelers and property in the Kahathuduwa, Boralesgamuwa, and Moragahahena areas. Later on, the woman, identified as the wife of one of the suspects, who had been involved in these crimes with nearly a one-year-old child, was also arrested. The two 24 and 27-yerar-old male suspects are residents of Kalawana and Kahathuduwa areas. The 29-year-old female suspect is a resident of Kahathuduwa area. The officers have been able to recover 04 stolen three-wheelers and the Mount Lavinia Divisional Crime Investigation Bureau has initiated further investigations into other crimes committed by these individuals.