A sergeant of the Sri Lankan Army Commando Force has been arrested for stealing a T-56 rifle from the occupying Kilinochchi commando camp and reportedly selling it to underworld criminals.
The stolen T-56 weapon was used to shoot at a three-wheeler driver in Ahungalla. The weapon was eventually found on October 17 in a bag that had been thrown in a paddy field in Morontuduwa.
The Colombo Crime Division stated that when checking the serial number of the weapon, it was confirmed that it was the weapon that was stolen from the Kilinochchi commando camp.
The investigation reportedly revealed that a few days before the shooting the soldier in question stole the firearm and gave it to a friend who had also served with him in the Commando Regiment.
The shooter was arrested and reportedly killed in a shootout with Sri Lankan police, who had taken him to a forested area in Balapitiya in order to interrogate him on the whereabouts of further weapons. Sri Lankan police allege that the man uncovered a weapon hidden there and tried to shoot at them.
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