LNP – Youth arrested for WTC office thefts; ‘Batman’ clue helps crack the case

Police have arrested a 23-year-old suspect involved in a series of thefts at the World Trade Center (WTC) in Colombo.Â

The suspect, identified as Khalid Riyal Muheideen, a Sudanese national of Eritrean origin, targeted four offices on the 26th floor of the East Tower during the early hours of January 17.

Police investigations revealed that the man, who appeared well-dressed and wore a face mask, had entered the WTC at approximately 1.00 a.m. on the day of the thefts. CCTV footage captured him using keys retrieved from keyboards to access the offices, where he stole laptops and mobile phones valued at nearly Rs. 3 million.

A peculiar clue led investigators to the breakthrough—as after committing the thefts, the suspect wrote the word “BATMAN” on the walls of each office. This prompted officers to analyze CCTV footage and review social media profiles of individuals previously associated with the WTC, as the police suspected that the individual must be a previous employee at the WTC.

Their attention was drawn to a Facebook account featuring several “BATMAN” images, which led them to identify Muheideen as the prime suspect. He was arrested near a major casino in Colombo.

During questioning, Muheideen confessed to the crimes, explaining that his familiarity with the WTC’s layout and security systems came from his father, who had operated a fish export consultancy business at the WTC years ago.Â

He also admitted to selling the stolen items at a low price to fund his gambling at casinos.

Fort Police has recovered the stolen goods and continue to investigate the case.