Indian woman among gang arrested for snatching necklaces

Kopay Police officers arrested four members of an organized gang of women last Monday (31) who go to participate in the ceremonies in major temples and shrines across the country and snatch gold necklaces from women.

Police said that there is also an Indian woman among those women, and that she came to the country last March on a tourist visa. Police say that she has a visa to stay in Sri Lanka until September. It has been revealed that the Indian woman and these local women knew each while trying to snatch necklaces during festivals of temples. A senior official said that this Indian woman came to Sri Lanka to snatch necklaces and it is suspected that another group of people have also came to Sri Lanka with her.

Police information revealed that a suspect tried to snatch a Rs.600,000 worth necklace of a woman at the festival site of the Nirveli Muthavinayagar temple in Kopay and the woman screamed. Then thevillagers who were there arrested the suspect woman and handed her over to the Police.

The police say that the gold thali flag worth nearly Rs.600,000 has been broken here, but it has not been caught so far and it has been exchanged from hand to hand. Police said investigations are underway to arrest the rest of the gang.