Five suspects, including two school teachers and two retired army soldiers, have been arrested today over alleged theft of gems, cash and gold worth more than Rs.30 million in Pelmadulla on July 27 night, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said.

He said the suspects had entered the shop which was on the second floor of a three-storey building on Main Street in Pelmadulla.

While describing the incident the Spokesman said that the suspects had broken into the shop on July 27 night and stolen several gemstones, gold jewellery and cash worth more than Rs.30 million. 

Police investigations had initiated after the complaint made by the shop owner on the following day at the Pelmadulla Police Station. 

Investigations were launched under the supervision of the Ratnapura Superintendent of Police Sudath Masinghe, he said.

“Several police officers were assigned in the Ratnapura town and suburbs as spies at shops where gems were being auctioned on the following day,” he said.

“Police received information regarding auctioning of gemstones similar to the stolen ones. The police had questioned the person who brought that suspicious gemstone for the auction.

“During police questioning the other four suspects who were involved the robbery had been revealed,” he said.

“Later, two teachers from the school were arrested. They are residents of Balangoda area. The other two were retired soldiers who are residents of Kirindiwela and Lunugamwehera. 

“The fifth suspect was a resident from Horana,” SP Gunaksera said.

“The teachers had brought one gemstone to the auction centre. After further investigations, police recovered 604 gemstones worth more than Rs.5 million, 62 pounds of gold jewellery and cash worth more than  Rs.447, 000, “ he said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)