16 August 2022 12:00 am Views - 361
By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
A stock of 13,200 litres of petrol stolen from a fuel bowser was seized and six suspects arrested by Puttalam and Anamaduwa police during a joint raid at two locations.
Two lorries that obtained fuel from the bowser were seized by the police.
Anamaduwa police had carried out the raid on a tip off from the public that a bowser parked near a house at Thonigala in Anamaduwa was selling petrol to lorries. One of the lorries had left the location after purchasing fuel and on information that it was proceeding in the direction of Puttalam, Anamaduwa police informed Puttalam police. The lorry was seized and two suspects were arrested by Puttalam police. The lorry had a stock of 4000 litres of petrol in 20 barrels.
Anamaduwa police seized the bowser, another lorry that purchased petrol and arrested four suspects during the raid at Thonigala.
Police said the stock of petrol involved in the racket was 13200 litres. Investigations revealed that the suspects arrested with the two lorries were transporting the stock of petrol to Silawathurai area in Mannar to be sold to fishermen for black-market prices
HQI Puttalam Police A. Priyantha and OIC Anamaduwa Police Jagath Kumara, and CI Hemantha Bandara are conducting further investigations on the instructions of SSP Ajith Hesiri.