Two commando soldiers who were allegedly found loitering suspiciously with a sniper rifle near the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo are to be investigated to determine whether the weapon had been used in connection with any other crime, the Fort Magistrate’s Court ordered yesterday (14).

The order was issued when the related case was taken up before Fort  Acting Magistrate Kasun Dissanayake.

The Acting Magistrate further instructed that, upon completion of examinations by the Government Analyst, the sniper rifle be released to the Sri Lanka Army on a surety of Rs. 200,000.

The Court noted that the Army must ensure the weapon is made available to the CID for investigations upon request.
The CID informed the Court that the rifle is valued at approximately Rs. 6.2 million.

Two suspects were arrested by the CID last Sunday (11) near the harbour gate leading to the Harbour Master’s Office and the entrance road to the CID headquarters, while in possession of the sniper rifle.

The CID told Court that the two individuals were dressed in civilian clothing and had wrapped the rifle in a piece of cloth, and that they had no documents to establish their identities.

According to the CID, the arrests were made following intelligence that a plot was being prepared to launch an attack targeting senior CID officials using a sniper-type firearm.

When the suspects were produced in Court on Monday (12), an attorney representing the Sri Lanka Army was also present and informed the Court that the suspects were in fact two Army commando soldiers.

He said the soldiers had been engaged in a mock hostage-rescue exercise within the harbour premises at the time of the arrest.

He further stated that the soldiers had been returning from a special training assignment and had entered the harbour area through an alternative route because the designated security gate had been closed, resulting in their detention.

The attorney also told the Court that the soldiers had been authorised to carry the sniper rifle.