Jaffna district Superintendent of Police (SP), Neville Pathmadeva, said that gangs of thieves and robbers had infiltrated into Jaffna peninsula from the Southern parts of Sri Lanka with the motive of stealing and robing during the Hindu temple annual festival season which has begun in Jaffna peninsula according to information received by him, in a press meet he held in Jaffna town Sunday. Meanwhile, local NGOs circles said that deserters from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) are the key persons in these gangs who befriend the SLA soldiers located in Jaffna peninsula to get information and particulars from them to rob houses in the peninsula.
The SP said that a gang of 12 thieves had been arrested recently at the annual festival of Nainai Naakapoosha’ni Amman temple in Nainaatheevu in the islets of Jaffna.
The gangs of thieves and robbers from various parts of Southern Sri Lanka including Puththa’lam have been able to enter Jaffna peninsula easily with the opening of A9 land route and some of these men are suspected of involvement in robberies in the peninsula in the past, Neville Pathmadeva said.
The gangs are operating in Nalloor Kanthasuvaami temple area too, according to the SP.
He said that police personnel will be posted only in the precincts of the temples where festivals are held but no such protection will be given to residential areas.
The SP added that people should themselves take precaution to guard their houses from being robbed by the said gangs.
Jaffna SP’s statement reveals the inability of the police department in Jaffna to protects the citizens, the NGO circles said.
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