Mount Lavinia Police yesterday discovered two revolvers and 10 bullets in the course of an extensive search of the Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court House and premises yesterday.
Police sources said that a noted underworld gangster known as 'Ratmalane Roha' was brought to the Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court last morning to attend hearings in a case filed against him.
Police said the guns and ammunition recovered from the Court complex could have been hidden there for use in an attack similar to the one carried out by an unidentified gang that gunned to death several gangsters and prison guards who were in transit in a prisons bus in Kalutara last Monday. The most likely victim would have been 'Ratmalane Roha' Police said.
Ratmalane Roha is in remand pending completion of hearings in cases filed against him for the murder of 59-year-old Police Constable Ratna Banda Dissanayake who was serving at the Kurunegala Police Station and a few other killings as well.
Police said that before the suspect was brought to Court, a routine search operation carried out at the complex had resulted in the discovery of the weapons which had been wrapped in a bag and concealed on the premises. Police said the guns and ammunition were concealed within easy reach for use at a moment's notice leading to the assumption that the probable victim was to have been Ratmalane Roha.
After recovery of the weapons, Court proceedings had to be suspended for several hours when Police locked down the Mount Lavinia Court complex to enable a more extensive search and draft in additional security on the premises and within the Court.
Ratmalane Roha, whose real name is H. Rohan de Silva, had also shot dead a drug peddler in front of the Mahara Magistrate's Court before he gunned down the Police constable who was attached to the Kurunegala Police Station.
The suspect was arrested some time after he had shot dead the Police constable on 15 November 2016.
Police said that security at all Magistrate's Courts has been tightened in the wake of the gangland killings in Kalutara early this week.
