News
Highway robbery with no shortage of gullible victims
A businessman in Kandana reading the newspapers in April this year noticed an advertisement calling for the supply of vehicles for a company. Thinking of making a good profit he decided to respond to the notice.
He found that the advertisement had been placed by a person from Kottawa operating a rent-a-car service. The businessman handed over five vehicles – three cars and two double cab pick ups– expecting quick returns.
Some of the stolen vehicles
Two months of the payments due to him under the deal were paid in advance but last month he did not receive any payment. He visited the “company” to which he had handed over his vehicles but was told that the premises had been rented out to a man who had since left, leaving no trace.
The man had given the businessman a copy of his ID card but that card apparently belonged to someone else, and the phone numbers of the alleged company were no longer operative.
The businessman lodged a complaint at the Mirihana police station and the police began to investigate.
A senior military officer soon after also lodged a complaint that his vehicle, an Allion, also had been handed over to the same rent-a-car service but that he was not receiving payment for it.
DIG Sumith Edirisinghe
Police probing the two complaints received a tip-off that the officer’s car was on sale at a car-sales centre in Kandy. The seller had left a copy of his brother’s identity card.
Inspector Nimal Karunaratna of the Special Branch at Mirihana told the Sunday Times that police received further information that another vehicle sale had been due to take place at Werahera, Kesbewa last Saturday.
“We went to the location very early in the morning, accompanied by plainclothes policemen as well. We had the number of the vehicle that was to be sold. We spotted the vehicle around 8 a.m passing the Cancer Hospital. We stopped it and found that it was driven by the person for whom we were looking,” IP Karunaratna said.
The suspect was identified as Vidanapathirana Harindra of Polgasovita.
Investigations revealed that the suspected had not only sold the six vehicles about which complaints had been received but had illegally sold eight other vehicles – two lorries, four cars and two double-cabs.
The vehicles were parked at the residence of a Pradeshiya Sabha member for Hingurakgoda (UPFA), Bandula Wickremaratna.
The PS member had paid Rs. 12 million for the eight vehicles – and had been aware that the vehicles had been illegally acquired.
“We found that the suspect (Harindra) was taking vehicles on lease or taking vehicles for the so-called rent-a-car service and later selling them for cheaper rates,” IP Karunaratna said.
Incidentally, Harindra was out on bail in a case involving the sale of 18 vehicles which he had acquired in a similar manner. He had been arrested by the Mirihana police in 2010.
“The public should check the background before handing over their vehicles to rent-a-car services as they could lose their vehicles,” IP Karunaratna said.
He said people also should beware when persons try to mortgage vehicles for very low rates.
Harindara has been remanded until July 7 while the Pradeshiya Sabha member has been released on bail.
IP Karunaratna said that anyone who had lost their vehicles in a similar manner should go to the Mirihana police. Invrstigations are being carried out under the directions of DIG Western Province (South)