The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) has recovered a T-56 assault rifle buried beneath a tree inside the Somawathiya National Reserve, police said.
The weapon was unearthed on Sunday (24) during a special operation by officers attached to Investigation Unit 5 of the CCD, acting on information received from a private informant, according to Ada Derana.
Authorities have not yet identified the owner of the firearm. Police suspect it may have belonged to a man who was recently shot dead by officers in Welikanda after allegedly attempting to attack them with a sharp weapon.
Further investigations are being conducted by the Colombo Crime Division.
The recovery comes amid a sustained nationwide drive against organised crime and illegal weapons. The “Rata Ekata” anti-narcotics operation has logged more than 156,000 arrests since it was launched in late 2025, with recent operations repeatedly turning up caches of military-grade firearms linked to the underworld.
