Mahason Balakaya office raided

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had recovered several office equipments and propaganda materials, which were used in propagating hate speech, from a office at Naththaranpotha in Kundasale last morning following the information received during the interrogation of the head of ‘Mahason Balakaya’

Addressing a news briefing, Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara said, based on a statement made by the prime suspect Widanapathiranage Amith Jeewan Weerasinghe (26) a resident in Kengalla, Digana, investigation officers had also recovered seven bottles which had been allegedly kept to make petrol bombs.

The other main suspects who were taken into custody in connection with inciting racism are Sureda Suraweera (Head of the Sinhale Jathika Balamuluwa), Sampath Anura Sri Kumarasinghe, Arachchikumbure Sobitha Thera, Asiri Chaturanga, Isuru Priyankara Kumara, Sumith Chaminda, Asanka Pradeep Weerasinghe, Jayanath Anton Gunaratne, and Rashmitha Bandara Mahawatte.

SP Gunasekara said police have found leaflets, posters, notices, letters, banners, a large number of documents and wristbands inciting racism from the Mahason Balakaya office.

The officers had found four computer central processing units (CPUs), several bank accounts, bank slips and several vehicle permits.

During the briefing, SP Gunasekara exposed to media a microphone with a tag ‘Mahason Balakaya’ and was used by the group to hold press conferences.

Meanwhile, a special investigation had been launched with the support of experts to trace the incoming and outgoing calls details of the mobile phones of the suspects.

A total of 445 complaints had been received island-wide relating to incidents of damaging houses and shops from March 4 until March 12.

Among them, 423 were incident in Kandy Police Divisions and the rest (22) in other districts.

According to reports, a total of 24 religious places were damaged island-wide and among them, 19 were from Kandy.

He said in Kandy 60 incidents of vehicle damages were reported while another five reported in other areas.

A total of 28 people including 22 individuals from Kandy and another six from other areas had sustained injuries in violent incidents.

“ We arrested 178 individuals from Kandy of which a majority of 119 were arrested under the State of Emergency. From the arrested, 50 were released on bail while 128 further remanded. A total of 102 individuals from other areas had been arrested. Forty-five of them are on bail while 57 have been further remanded. Therefore, a total of 280 suspects have been arrested,’ he said.Â