Two suspects arrested for stealing artifacts from Devalaya

Two suspects have been arrested by the Ingiriya Police on Saturday (14) for stealing six ancient statues and other properties from a Devalaya located at Handipangoda, Kotigala, in the Ingiriya Police Division.

According to the police, this Devalaya was destroyed by a gang on May 9 and two persons who were among the gang had returned and stolen the ancient statues and other belongings of the Devalaya, police said.

According to information received by the police that two persons had come to a house at Handapangoda in the Wela Ihala area and were trying to sell a statue for Rs. 25,000, Ingiriya OIC Chief Inspector W.D.C. Janaka and a team had taken immediate action and arrested the suspects.

The suspects are aged between 29 and 33 and are residents of the Handapangoda area. Upon interrogation, four of the stolen statues were found in their houses and a Davula and a Tammattam were found hidden in a jungle area near the Devalaya.

In addition, police said that they were able to obtain information from them about other 10 persons who had come to attack the Devalaya on May 9.

Ingiriya OIC Chief Inspector W.D.C. Janaka and Crime Unit OIC SI Padukka and other officials are conducting further investigations to find the other two stolen statues.