Suspect who attended Zahran's Extremist classes arrested

COLOMBO (News 1st): A 24-year-old female who attended extremism training classes conducted by Zaharan Hashim was arrested in Mawanella on Friday (Feb. 19) by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID), Sri Lanka Police said on Saturday (Feb. 20). The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) initiated investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks on April 21st 2019, Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana told News 1st on Saturday (Feb. 20). "When the TID was conducting investigations, it was revealed that the main perpetrator of the Easter Sunday bombings, Zahran Hashim had conducted several classes in respect of Wahhabism and Extremism for women. Accordingly, the TID arrested six women on 7th December 2020 and they are detained at the CID at present," the Deputy Police Chief elaborated. Furthermore, according to DIG Ajith Rohana, during investigations conducted by the TID, information came to light regarding another woman involved in classes of Wahhabism and Extremism; thereby, the suspect, a 24-year-old woman, who is a resident of Hingula, Mawanella was arrested by the TID yesterday (19). The TID has obtained a detention order in terms of the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and she will be interrogated in respect of her conduct, the Police Spokesperson noted. According to Sri Lanka Police, the 24-year-old female suspect's father and three brothers were arrested by the TID few months ago, in connection with the Easter Sunday bombings and the vandalism incidents reported in Mawanella. The Terrorist Investigation Division is conducting further investigations in respect of the woman arrested on Friday (Feb. 19), Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana added.