Four individuals have been arrested for posing as officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and extorting a bribe amounting to Rs. 10 million. The Bribery or Corruption Investigation Commission confirmed that the arrests took place on Monday in Kollupitiya, following a complaint filed by a resident of Dehiwala.
According to reports, the suspects visited a residence in Kollupitiya and seized Rs. 12 million in cash along with 3,500 US dollars, purportedly belonging to the complainant, under the pretense of conducting an investigation against them. Subsequently, they confiscated the passport of an Indian national employed at the premises.
Subsequent to these actions, the suspects contacted the complainant, demanding a bribe of Rs. 40 million in exchange for assistance in the ongoing investigation and the return of the confiscated passport. This demand was later revised to Rs. 35 million, with an initial installment of Rs. 10 million requested.
Acting upon this extortion attempt, officials from the Bribery Commission intervened and arrested three male suspects and one female suspect while they were attempting to collect the bribe at the residence.
The arrested suspects are to be presented before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court.
