– The railway components dismantled from the site of the Wanawasala train accident were sold for a meager sum of Rs. 3,000, according to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police for the Western Province North, Kalinga Jayasinghe. Speaking at a press conference today (17), the DIG revealed that the police have identified the location where the stolen parts were purchased and have taken the establishment’s owner into custody.

The arrest of the buyer was made possible following intense interrogation of the main suspect, who was initially detained on suspicion of unscrewing bolts and dismantling parts from the railway track, which ultimately led to the train crash. DIG Jayasinghe said that the main suspect is a 25-year-old youth who is suffering from a severe drug addiction.The DIG said that while individuals engage in such reckless thefts for minuscule financial gains, their actions result in millions of rupees worth of damage and put human lives at catastrophic risk. He further said that ongoing investigations are being carried out diligently, and all arrested suspects are scheduled to be produced before the court in due course.

Furthermore, DIG Jayasinghe asserted that the suspects will face legal action not only for the destruction of public property but also for the extensive damages and losses caused by the resulting train accident. He made it clear that the individual who knowingly purchased the stolen public property will be prosecuted with equal severity.