The Panadura Walana Central Anti-Corruption Squad has arrested a businessman with a jeep worth about Rs.10 million which was assembled illegally.
At the time of arrest, the registration number of the jeep was falsely displayed as a category 99 registration number issued by the government only for Ambassadors who served in this country, a few decades ago.
The Panadura Walana Central Anti-Corruption Unit Director ASP Udaya Kumara had received information that a businessman in Bibile was using a jeep assembled illegally.
During the raid conducted by a special Police team, the suspected businessman was arrested in the Kumbukkana area of Buttala Road, Monaragala while driving the jeep. During preliminary investigations conducted after the arrest of the jeep, it was revealed that its chassis and engine numbers were forged. During the questioning of the 27-year-old businessman, the suspect told the Police that he had bought this jeep from a VIP in the Badulla area about a month ago.
A similar jeep was taken into police custody in the Deraniyagala area about a week ago. Investigations so far have revealed that an organized group is engaged in assembling jeeps illegally and selling them at exorbitant prices to businessmen.
The arrested suspect and the jeep have been handed over to the Monaragala Police.