A luxury jeep disguised as a senior police vehicle, saluted by officers for days, was finally seized in Kandy, exposing a shocking case of deception tied to an extremist political group.
Kandy police have seized a luxury jeep modified to resemble an official police vehicle after it had been saluted by genuine officers on duty for several days. The dramatic discovery was made during a raid yesterday morning.
Police confirmed that two men were traveling inside the vehicle at the time of the arrest and were found carrying walkie-talkies similar to those used by law enforcement personnel. Investigations revealed that the jeep belonged to the leader of an extremist political group. Its original green paint had been altered to a darker shade, and heavily tinted shutters concealed the occupants, giving the impression it was an official transport vehicle used by senior police officers.
According to reports, officers on duty in Kandy had been saluting the jeep regularly as it passed, even recording the gestures in the official police logbook. Suspicion grew when the occupants consistently failed to return the salutes, prompting officers to stop and inspect the vehicle.
Authorities said the seized walkie-talkies will undergo a thorough examination to determine whether they were linked to terrorist activities. Vehicle examiners will also investigate whether the jeep was locally assembled or modified to mimic law enforcement standards.
The investigation is being led by OIC Traffic Branch CI Prasanna Kottegoda under the guidance of HQI Kandy CI Rasika Sampath and SSP Anuruddha Bandaranayaka.
