Deputy Minister of Public Security, Sunil Watagala, has revealed details about a man who deceived him and ministry staff, escaping with 17 new passports.
The incident occurred during the deputy minister’s first official visit to the ministry.
The man, pretending to be a staff member, escorted the deputy minister through various departments, claiming he was sent from the Presidential Secretariat to coordinate the visit.
The individual actively participated in organizing a tea party to mark the occasion and even guided the deputy minister to passport-related sections, falsely claiming no minister had toured those areas before.
The next day, ministry staff informed the deputy minister that the man had directed them to provide media voice clips praising the deputy minister, raising suspicion about his identity.
Upon further inquiries, it was discovered that the man was an outsider and had been removed from the premises.
However, by that time, he had already fled with 17 passports, claiming the deputy minister had ordered their collection.
Identified as Nishantha, Deputy Minister Watagala has instructed the police to take immediate action to apprehend him.
