Two arrested for propagating extremism to students after O/L exam

Two individuals have been arrested for conducting classes on extremist ideologies to students who had completed the G.C.E Ordinary Level examination, the Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said today in a statement.

The arrest was made by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) on Wednesday (April 07) in the area of Oluvil.

The suspects, aged 30 and 39 years, have been identified as residents of the same area.

According to reports, the duo had used video footage and other content, used by foreign extremist groups in their lectures to recruit new members. 

During these classes, the students have been forced to follow physical fitness training courses, DIG Rohana said further.

He revealed that several students who were reluctant to attend the physical fitness training have been assaulted by the two suspects. Some of the victimized students have been traced by the investigators and they are to be directed to the Judicial Medical Officer.

The two arrestees have been brought to the TID headquarters in Colombo and they will be detained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

It was revealed that the duo was guided by the main perpetrator of the Easter Sunday terror attacks Zahran Hashim.

The TID is conducting further investigations into the incident, the police spokesperson said further.

Two other suspects who were accused of conducting classes on extremist ideologies to O/L students in Muttur were meanwhile arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department several days ago, he continued, adding that these classes were conducted in 2018.