Former Member of Parliament Chandana Kathriarachchi has been taken into custody by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) following the discovery of a significant quantity of illegal ammunition and explosives at his residence.
The Raid and Recovered Items: Acting on specific intelligence, the CCD obtained a search warrant from the Kesbewa Magistrate’s Court and conducted a raid on the former MP’s residence in Piliyandala yesterday (16). During the operation, authorities recovered a heavy cache of ammunition, including:
- 221 rounds of T-56 assault rifle ammunition.
- Two T-56 magazines.
- 31 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
- 103 rounds of 0.22 calibre ammunition.
- A live hand grenade (identified as being manufactured in Czechoslovakia).
Legal and Registered Firearms: Subsequent searches of the premises also led to the discovery of four legally registered firearms. Investigations revealed that one of these was registered under Mr. Kathriarachchi’s name, while the other three were registered under his wife’s name. This collection of licensed weaponry included two shotguns and two 9mm pistols.
Ongoing Investigation: The Colombo Crimes Division has launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the motive behind possessing such a vast amount of live ammunition and a high-explosive hand grenade. The investigations are being conducted under the direct supervision of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of the Colombo Range, Nishantha Soysa. The suspect is expected to be produced before the Kesbewa Magistrate’s Court shortly.
