Sri Lankan authorities have arrested a third suspect in connection with the discovery of a gold-colored T-56 assault rifle at a luxury apartment complex in Wellawatte.
The latest arrest was made during a police operation in the Ruwanwella area.
The investigation began after police received a tip-off via the emergency hotline, leading to the dramatic discovery of the weapon on Tuesday (20) evening.
The rifle was found during a security inspection of a 40-year-old woman attempting to enter the high-rise residential complex.
The alert security officer promptly notified the police, who arrived on the scene and took the woman into custody.
Further inquiries revealed that the woman is a resident of Battaramulla and a national of Kazakhstan.
Her 68-year-old mother-in-law, who accompanied her, was also arrested.
Police have since confirmed that the older woman is the mother of the Kazakh national’s husband, who is currently employed in Qatar.
Both women are being held for 48 hours for questioning as investigations continue.
Authorities suspect the weapon may have been intended for use in a criminal activity, although no definitive conclusions have been reached.
Interestingly, police noted that the serial numbers on different parts of the rifle do not match, raising further questions about its origin and intended use.
(News1st)
(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)
