Police arrested three suspects in Ragama and Moratuwa on Saturday in connection with a string of telephone cable thefts targeting telecommunications transmission towers, Newswire reported.
In Ragama, officers detained two men aged 27 and 34 — residents of Rattupaswala and Kadawatha — along with 17.7 grams of crystal methamphetamine (ICE) during a raid by the Ragama Police Station. The ICE find adds to a national drug seizure count that had reached 2,062kg of methamphetamine by late May. Investigations revealed the pair had allegedly cut and stolen cables from telecom transmission towers in the area, causing losses estimated at Rs. 922,750. Officers recovered a stock of the stolen cable segments after questioning.
In a separate Moratuwa operation, police arrested a 51-year-old from Rawathawatta wanted in connection with several property thefts, including the theft of telephone cables valued at approximately Rs. 180,000. Officers also recovered a stolen television set and a stock of copper wire believed to be stolen.
Further investigations are being conducted by Ragama and Moratuwa Police. Telecom tower infrastructure has been a recurring target: the Chinese Embassy noted joint crackdowns on telecom fraud this cycle, and CoPF separately approved a five-year tax break for new telecom towers amid concerns about vandalism and access costs.
Sources: Newswire — Suspects linked to telephone cable thefts arrested in Ragama and Moratuwa; Three arrested over theft of telecom transmission cables in Ragama and Moratuwa — Ada Derana, June 14.
