The Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court today (21) ordered that the two women, arrested in connection with the discovery of a gold-plated T-56 assault rifle at a prominent apartment complex in Havelock Town, be detained at the Wellawatte Police Station for questioning until Friday (23).

The duo was produced before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court today.

Accordingly, Mount Lavinia Magistrate A.D. Chathurika Silva issued the order following a request made by the Wellawatte Police.

The gold-plated T-56 assault rifle was discovered yesterday (20) inside a woman’s travel bag at the apartment complex.

A complaint was made through the ‘119’ police emergency hotline stating that an elderly woman was seen carrying what appeared to be a T-56 assault rifle towards the apartment complex. The security personnel at the complex were informed accordingly.

Officers, including the Officer-in-Charge of the Wellawatte Police Station, visited the location and during their inspection discovered the firearm.

The relevant security officer had revealed that, when questioned about the firearm, the two women claimed it had been in the back of a luxury vehicle and that they had taken it thinking it was a toy gun.

Later, Police had questioned the two women – a 69-year-old Sri Lankan woman and her niece, a woman from Kazakhstan – about the incident.

The Sri Lankan woman was subsequently taken to the Wellawatte Police Station last evening for questioning.

Accordingly, police launched an investigation using CCTV footage from areas the suspects had travelled in the vehicle.

It was revealed through CCTV footage that the two women were seen carrying the bag and the T-56 firearm out of their residence at the apartment complex.

Later, Police inspected the house of the other woman located in Pelawatte and escorted her, along with the vehicle in which the firearm was transported, to the Wellawatte Police Station at around 8:30 p.m. yesterday.

During questioning, the two women had told police that someone must have placed the firearm inside the vehicle during a time when the doors were left unlocked.

However, the two women, along with the vehicle, were taken into police custody last night under the suspicion of possessing and aiding in the concealment of a T-56 assault rifle.

Wellawatte Police is conducting further investigations into the incident.