Three arrested near Expressway Interchange with stolen cattle

The Panadura Walana Central Anti-Corruption Force arrested three persons opposite the Dodangoda Expressway Interchange in the early morning hours of yesterday (08), who had been transporting 19 stolen cattle in a covered lorry.

According to Police, the rescued cattle were valued at approximately Rs. 5 million.

The police took into custody a fake license which was in the possession of the suspects.

Based on a tip-off received by the Officer-In-Charge of the Panadura Walana Central Anti-Corruption Force, Indika Weerasinghe that a racket where stolen cattle were being supplied to unauthorized slaughter houses in Beruwala, Bandaragama and Ataluwa areas, its Director, Assistant Superintendent of Police Udaya Kumara had prepared a plan subsequent to which this raid had been carried out and revealed the racket.

A Police officer said that they suspect that a license had been prepared. Although the suspects had been stopped and inspected at four Police barriers at Murukkan, Chilaw and Kochchikade, they managed to get away by producing a forged license. The suspects had travelled on the Katunayake-Colombo Expressway and left it via the Colombo Outer Circular Expressway, along the Southern Expressway through the Dodangoda Interchange.

A Police officer involved in the raid said that subsequent to taking into custody the suspects, when the lorry was opened and inspected, 19 heads of cattle had been found cramped inside the vehicle.

The raid was carried out by Sub Inspector of Police R. M. C. D. Ratnayake, Police Constables Jayamaha, Ishan, Salay, Dilshan, Dakshan, Abayaratne, under the direct supervision of Officer-In-Charge, Chief Inspector Indika Weerasinghe on the instructions of Director of the Panadura Walana Central Anti-Corruption Force, Assistant Superintendent of Police Udaya Kumara.