Racketeers could be arrested if complaint lodged: Gunasekara

Although there are laws to victims of racketeers who are out to make a quick buck any which way they can, the police are often not given the opportunity to take action against these persons as victims of these crimes hardly report them to the police.

Speaking of rackets in which pedestrians deliberately throw themselves in front of vehicles in order to demand money from gullible motorists, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said such cases were often resolved by the victims paying up.

Previously reported a racket in which three-wheeler drivers would demand money from motorists travelling in luxury vehicles after claiming that their side mirror had been broken by them. The media spokesman said that there had been a marked increase in the number of such rackets taking place in and around Colombo, spurred on by the knowledge that the unsuspecting victims would pay up and not call the police due to the hassle involved.

“According to the penal code, suspects could be brought to justice on charges of cheating, misappropriation and extortion if a complaint is lodged at the closest police station,” he said.