(COLOMBO) – Mufti-clad Sri Lankan policemen have been pressed into service to nab petty thieves and criminals during the ongoing holiday rush in Sri Lanka, a senior official said on Thursday.
The plainclothes operatives will mingle with the public in crowded places such as shopping malls and public transport where criminal elements are known to prowl during this period, Police Spokesman Senior Superintendent (SSP) Nihal Thalduwa said.
He also cautioned the public against sporting expensive jewelry while visiting crowded shopping areas since snatch thieves are known to be very active.
Petty criminals known to police are usually rounded up prior to festive periods in the island-nation purely as a precautionary measure.
They are held in police holding cells and subsequently released without charges.
