The Police Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a wanted criminal by the name of Warnakulasooriya Kristembuge Sameera Sampath Fernando alias “Hal Sameera”, along with several firearms and ammunition.
The officers have conducted a raid at a house in the Minuwangoda area yesterday (22), according to a tip-off received by the special operations unit of the Police STF.
During the raid, officers arrested the 36-year-old suspect who allegedly collected rice on a large scale from rice producers across the island, issued bounced cheques for them and engaged in rice racket in a fraudulent manner.
The arrestee had been convicted and imprisoned on several occasions for illegal activities and it is also reported that he had threatened and intimidated several people in the Kochchikade and Katana areas by illegally collecting money.
Moreover, two revolvers made in Italy with no serial numbers, one shotgun made in China, an illegal sword, ten 09mm type bullets, two 0.38mm type bullets and eleven 12 bore type bullets have been seized during the search carried out at the residence of the suspect.
