Police shoot at lorry transporting cattle in Suriyawewa

• Police who searched the lorry found 18 cattle and the carcasses of two more

By Dilip Jayasekara   

Police had given chase and shot a lorry transporting cattle illegally for slaughter and seized it at Bopele junction in Suriyawewa in the early hours of last morning.   

During the raid one suspect fled from the scene and evaded arrest while the police arrested the driver.   

Officers from Mattala police on night patrol had ordered a suspicious lorry from the direction of Lunugamvehera to halt but it had sped away ignoring the order.   

They had given chase and informed Suriyawewa police to check the lorry. A police team from Suriyawewa had put up a road barrier and attempted to stop the lorry. However when the lorry sped away they had opened fire causing a puncture in the front tire and thereby seized it.   

 Police had searched the lorry to find 18 cattle and the carcasses of two others.   

The 58 year old suspect driver was a resident of Beruwala. He was to be produced before the Hambantota magistrate yesterday afternoon. .   

A police team under OIC Suriyawewa police CI Anura Susantha is conducting further investigations to arrest the absconding suspect.