The elite Special Task Force (STF) busted a massive vehicle racket today when it seized seven vehicles valued at Rs.11 million and arrested the main suspect who was allegedly behind it.

The main suspect was arrested along with two other associates during a raid carried out in Kiribathgoda.

It was found that the main suspect had been operating under five names in order to carry out the illegal activities.

The STF team was led by Inspector Nadeeka Silva.

He said that the first the racket selects the registration number of vehicles which are advertised to be rented out.

“They visit the owners where the main suspect poses as a gem businessman. He posses only fake documents. After trapping the vehicle owners they pay an advance and take away the vehicle,” he said.

“Several days later the suspects sell the vehicle or mortgage it. For these transactions they have used fraudulent documents and have also used fake vehicle number plates,” he noted.(Supun Dias & Sanath Desmond)