October 18, Colombo (LNW): Police have uncovered a substantial collection of firearms, ammunition and hand grenades during a targeted search of a cinema hall in the Hanwella Road area, within the Kirindiwela Police Division.
The operation was carried out by officers from the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) on the evening of October 17, following intelligence received by the authorities about the premises.
During the search, police recovered several types of firearms alongside thousands of rounds of live ammunition. A 38-year-old man from the Millathe area was taken into custody in connection with the discovery.
According to police, the seized weapons included two foreign-manufactured pistols, a revolver, a foreign-made repeater firearm and a foreign-manufactured 12-bore firearm. Investigators also found two live hand grenades, raising further concerns about the nature and potential use of the stockpile.
The ammunition recovered comprised 398 live 12-bore cartridges, 278 live 16-bore cartridges and a total of 3,132 live rounds for .32-calibre firearms.
The discovery has prompted further inquiries by the Colombo Crime Division, which is working to establish how the weapons and ammunition came to be stored at the cinema premises and whether the arrested suspect has links to any wider criminal activity.
Investigations into the incident are continuing, police said.
