Four Katunayake police officers arrested after criminal escapes from custody

Four police officers including an Officer-In-Charge (OIC) have been arrested in connection with the  escape of a criminal who was arrested at the Katunayake International airport when he came to flee the country.

The criminal who escaped from police custody is said to be connected to 19 murders.

Two police constables and the OIC were released on bail after being produced in the Negombo magistrate’s court and the police sergeant who was the officer in charge of the Katunayake airport police at that time was remanded.

The 28 year old suspect, a resident of Kalutara had arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Friday night with another person in two vehicles to leave for Dubai.

Two flight bans have been issued against this person under his real name and under the fake name he is using.

Katunayake Airport Immigration Department officials had prevented this person from going abroad after they came to know that travel bans have been issued against him and had informed the Katunayake Airport Police about it.

After that, a group of Katunayake Airport Police officers had come to the premises of the Immigration Department and arrested him and kept him in a cell.

During investigations the police have found that the suspect is a deserter from the Navy and that he has allegedly committed nine murders all over Sri Lanka and has also aided and abetted in ten other murders.

Shortly after his arrest, two monks have come to the Katunayake Airport Police to get the suspect released and during the subsequent investigations it was revealed that they were two people disguised as monks.

During the diversion with the fake monks, the suspect who had been taken out of the cell had escaped from Katunayake Airport Police around mid-night.