Pettah Police have debunked a viral social media video claiming to show an extortion racket in Colombo, clarifying that the incident was actually the result of an escalating dispute over a mobile phone repair.
Key Highlights
- Viral video circulated as an alleged extortion case was actually a customer-shopkeeper dispute.
- The conflict began over an unsatisfactory Rs. 16,000 repair on an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
- A 44-year-old suspect was arrested after allegedly attacking the shop with a sword.
According to police reports, the conflict originated on August 30 when a customer handed over an Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max for a display repair at a shop inside the Pollack Market complex on Main Street, Pettah. The shop charged Rs. 16,000 for the service before returning the device.
The situation soured the following day when the customer returned, arguing that the repair was defective. As the argument intensified, the customer began recording the shop premises with his mobile phone. In response, the shop owner reportedly confiscated the device and kept it on the premises.
The dispute took a violent turn on September 20 when the customer returned armed with a sword. Police state that the suspect damaged shop property while demanding both his phone and a full refund before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.
Following an investigation reported to the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, Pettah Police traced the registered vehicle and arrested the primary suspect—a 44-year-old resident of Koswatta, Battaramulla—on September 23. Law enforcement officers have impounded the vehicle and are currently working to recover the sword used in the assault.
Police reiterated that preliminary findings conclusively rule out any involvement of an organized extortion ring, attributing the dramatic footage entirely to the commercial repair dispute.