A 1000 strong Special Task Force (STF) and police contingent unleashed excessive force and dished out collective punishment as they rounded up 395 male residents of T 20 Watta, and Seewali Patumaga, Wanathamulla, yesterday.
Police say that the operation was carried out to capture seven drug traffickers who escaped arrest on April 14. However, 25 persons have been arrested.
Police say that the operation was carried out to capture seven drug traffickers who escaped arrest on April 14. However, 25 persons have been arrested.
“The police know the seven men by person and even acknowledged that only three out of the 25 arrested are guilty. But they rounded up hundreds of innocent men and arrested 25 just to show their strength,” said an inside source.
Residents say that an unidentified gang, purportedly said to be officers from the Dematagoda police had attempted to abduct several youth from the area on April 14 but were forced to flee after residents in numbers attacked them. In an act of retaliation, a strong police contingent surrounded several areas of Wanathamulla around 5 am yesterday, rounded up male residents, took them to Seewali Maha Vidyalaya, and videoed and took individual pictures as well.
By Rathindra Kuruwita and Gayan Kumara Weerasinghe
LB