Eight suspects, including a woman, have been arrested for allegedly attempting to steal over Rs. 20 million belonging to a private institution in Pettah by staging a fake robbery while an employee was transporting the money to a bank.

The suspects were apprehended during a raid carried out by the Kelaniya Divisional Crime Investigations Unit, police said.

According to police, officers from the Kelaniya Divisional Crime Prevention Bureau had inspected a suspicious three-wheeler in the Naranminiya area in the Peliyagoda Police Division. 

Upon inspection, officers had discovered a bag containing Rs. 3 million in cash in the possession of a passenger seated in the back. The passenger and the driver of the three-wheeler were arrested along with the three-wheeler for further questioning. 

Subsequent interrogation revealed that the money had been handed over to the suspect by an employee of a private institution in Pettah, in an attempt to make it appear as though a robbery had occurred while the funds were being transported to the bank.

Further investigations led to the arrest of another suspect with Rs. 1.5 million in cash and five others in possession of Rs. 22.245 million in cash, along with a motorcycle which has been reportedly used in the crime.

The arrested suspects are between the ages of 25 and 45 and the arrested woman has been identified as a 60 years old while they are residents of Kelaniya, Peliyagoda, Wellampitiya, Mawanella and Kadawatha areas.

The Kelaniya Divisional Crime Prevention Bureau is conducting further investigations into the incident.