Based on information disclosed by the underworld criminal named Booru Moona, who is being held for 90 days on a detention order,
the officers of the Western Province South District Crime Division have found a firearm hidden in a cemetery in Ballanthudawe Millaniya yesterday (10).
This firearm, which is a 9 mm type pistol made in China, was found by a team of police officers who had gone to the cemetery with Booru Moona. The firearm had been buried and hidden behind the chamber where bodies to be cremated are brought and placed.
It has been revealed that Booru Moona buried this weapon at that place a day before he went to Katunayake to flee the country. He had come to Katunayake from a house in front of this cemetery. The owner of that house was a person who had served with him in the Navy. The sailor and his wife had brought Booru Moona in a van to Katunayake Airport to fly out of the country.
These two persons had been arrested by the Police Special Task Force in Nuwara-Eliya. Booru Moona had said during interrogation that he had hidden the firearm while staying at that house. Booru Moona was arrested by a group of police officers from Avissawella on March 17. He was handed over to the West South District Crime Branch for investigation. It has been revealed during his detention, that he is directly responsible for seven murders.
A top-ranking police officer said that it is not been confirmed if the firearm, which was found buried in the Ballanthudawe cemetery, was a weapon that had been used in shootings. The officer said that, however, this weapon will be sent to the Government Analyst to check whether it has been used in recent crimes.
This police officer further stated that this firearm can hold 15 rounds of ammunition and when it was found, there were only six rounds of ammunition in it.