Police today confirmed that the Colombo National Museum robbery was carried out by Priyantha Medis, also known as Kangetta, alone and that no other individual was involved in the heist.
All 221 items stolen from the museum following a break-in on March 03 have been recovered, a senior police officer said, adding, they were found in jewelry stores and antique shops in various parts of the island.
The suspect had entered the museum in the afternoon and stayed until night before stealing the items from 4 display cabinets, said Anura Senanayake, senior DIG in charge of the Western Province.
He elaborated that the security cameras in the museum had malfunctioned three days prior to the robbery and that the security guards had been asleep while the thief made away with goods, some of immense historical value.
Three cigarette butts and three fingerprints of the suspect were found at the scene of the crime, the Senior DIG said at a press conference at Police Headquarters today to brief media regarding the robbery and the recovered items.
