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.