COLOMBO : Katunayake Police arrested an individual while attempting to steal three tons of pepper worth Rs.6.7 million near the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Tuesday, Oct. (8).
The suspect, a 30-year-old from Ampara, posed as a representative of a spice-exporting company and convinced a group of pepper farmers from Ududumbara to handover the pepper, which they had advertised for sale on Facebook.
The man initially took one kilogramme of pepper for inspection, later claiming the pepper was suitable for export and requested the farmers to bring 3,100 kilograms to Katunayake.
At the airport, the suspect, who arrived in a rented car had tricked the farmers into handing over the pepper by promising immediate payment. He entertained them at a nearby restaurant for several hours and attempted to flee without paying.
The farmers, realizing the deception, apprehended the man and handed him over to the Katunayake Police. The police seized 1,500 kilograms of the stolen pepper. The suspect was later produced before the Minuwangoda Magistrate’s Court, and investigations are ongoing to locate other individuals involved in the theft. Pix CDN
