A suspect allegedly connected to a series of recent robberies at bank branches and jewellery stores has been arrested in the Kiribathgoda area today while fleeing after another robbery attempt, police said. 

Police had been vigilant with regard to a certain individual who has been responsible for a series of bank robberies in the Kelaniya area. 

The robberies carried out by the suspect include the theft of gold jewellery worth over Rs 4.1 million from a jewellery store in Kiribathgoda on September 12, 2017. The suspect had used a pistol for the stickup at the bank.  

On March 20, 2018 the suspect had robbed over Rs 900,000 from a private bank in Kiribathgoda by wielding a knife. 

On April 25, he had attempted to rob a private bank in Kandana, but had fled after being assaulted by the security guard at the bank branch. 

Just two days later (April 27), the suspect had robbed over Rs 700,000 in cash from a private bank in Wattala after throwing chili powder at the security guards. 

Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said that based on the footage from all those robberies, it was suspected that one individual had been responsible for all the incidents.  

Kelaniya Police Division officers have notified all the banks regarding the individual and provided them with a description of his appearance. 

In the meantime the suspect had arrived at a private bank in Wattala this afternoon (May 10) with the intention of robbing it, but fled on a motorcycle after a suspicious security guard had questioned him.

The security guard had then alerted the Wattala Police Station, which had immediately notified other nearby police stations. 

A team of police officers led by the Kiribathgoda OIC had given chase to a suspicious motorcycle and the suspect was arrested earlier today, the police spokesman said.

It had been uncovered that the suspect had visited the private bank in Wattala today in order to hurl chili powder at security at the guards and rob the bank.