Seven suspects who were involved in stealing an ATM machine from a private bank in Gampola have been arrested by the police.
The stolen ATM machine and a pistol that belongs to Puttalam district MP Ali Sabry Raheem have been recovered during the raid.
According to the police, the pistol had been taken from the parliamentarian’s residence when it was set on fire during the countrywide unrest that ensued amidst the ‘Aragalaya’ protest movement.
On January 24, four suspects had completely dismantled and removed an ATM machine of a private bank located along Kandy Road in Gampola.
The thieves, who arrived in a van, had been wearing masks to conceal their identities. They had tied up the security officer at the bank before proceeding to remove the ATM machine.
Meanwhile, the van used by the suspects was later found abandoned in Peradeniya with its driver tied inside the vehicle.
