One arrested for conducting extremism classes in 2018: Police

COLOMBO (News 1st): A 38-year-old individual from Mutur was arrested on Thursday (May 13), in connection with the offense of conducting extremism classes in the Mutur area back in December 2018 prior to the 2019 April 21st attacks, Sri Lanka Police said on Friday (May 14). "This particular individual had conducted classes for school leavers in the Mutur area on the instructions of Zahran Hashim. He has been brought to the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) and he will be detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)," Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana told News 1st. According to the Deputy Police Chief, two other suspects who were in the remand custody of the Kegalle and Polonnaruwa prisons, have been taken into TID custody on the orders of the respective magistrates' courts, in terms of the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. "Both suspects had trained under Zahran Hashim and they had been remanded for various offences soon after the April 21st Attacks. However, following further investigations conducted by the Terrorist Investigation Division, it was revealed that these two were involved in training courses as well. Therefore, they were taken into TID custody yesterday (May 13)," DIG Ajith Rohana further added. The Terrorist Investigation Division is conducting further investigations. The Police Spokesperson further noted that the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) are jointly conducting investigations into the 2019 April 21st Attacks.