The Pundaluoya Police arrested a nine-member gang including an Indian couple who had been snatching chains from women at a festival held at the Muthumari Amman Kovil at Lower Street, Pundaluoya.
The Indian couple who visit the country during periods when festivals are held at Kovils, go around the country with a group of local persons and engage in stealing gold jewellery, it was revealed during investigations.
A festival to declare open the newly built Pundaluoya Kovil was held on March 24 and this group had been roaming mingling with the large crowds and robbed necklaces and chains from women.
Three women who attended the Kovil festival were robbed of their chains and necklaces and they were not even aware of it. When they were trying to rob the fourth woman’s chain, she screamed and prompt action by the Police helped nab the gang.
The other three women realized that they had been robbed, only after the fourth woman had screamed and the suspects were caught and handed over to the Police.
The chains and necklaces stolen from the three women were valued at Rs.1.6 million, Rs. 800,000 and Rs. 500,000 respectively.
Initially, only two suspects had been taken into custody and the other suspects had subsequently been arrested after a special search operation within the Kovil premises.
Police said that there are six women, including an Indian woman among the suspects arrested. Apart from the Indian couple, the other suspects are residents of Kilinochchi, Sinnakulama, Puttalam and Digana. They are between the ages of 27 and 53.
The nine suspects were produced before the Nawalapitiya Magistrate’s Court and remanded till March 29 when an identification parade is due to be held.