If any incident of theft or illegal activity takes place at any retail establishment including supermarkets, the public is advised to manage the situation through the involvement of security officers at the establishment and then to inform the police, Police said.

Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that no one can assault another person over the offence of stealing goods or breaking the law in any other way.

Speaking at a press conference held in Colombo, SSP Thalduwa said that assaulting suspects was unacceptable.If any such incident is reported, he said the employees of the relevant institution will be arrested and legal action will be initiated against them.

“I request the managers and higher officials of such companies to pay special attention in this regard. They have been instructed to control the situation by deploying the security officers and then to notify the police,” he said.