Police raid lodges in city
More than 100 Colombo lodges were searched by police in midnight raids on Thursday and they are to be kept under close surveillance in a bid to curb killings.

Identities and belongings of some 2,500 lodgers were closely checked in the raids in Wellawatte, Kotahena, Maradana, Fort, Pettah, Bambalapitiya and Armour Street -- the first such operation since the Ceasefire Agreement was signed two and half years ago.

Police said they had not detected offensive weapons or any suspicious persons in the lodges they raided. But 61 Bangladeshi's allegedly waiting to migrate illegally to Italy were arrested at a lodge in Wellawatte.

Deputy Inspector General Sirisena Herath said the raids were carried out because police had information that hit squads involved in recent killings had stayed at lodges. He said police would be forced to carry out similar raids on a regular basis to curb the killings.

The latest killing took place last Thursday when EPDP central committee member S. Warnakulasingham was shot dead at Vihara Lane in Wellawatte.

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