Operations which nabbed Rs. 1140 million worth heroin hidden in Colpetty apartment by Hikkaduwa businessman in connivance with foreigners!

Operations which nabbed Rs. 1140 million worth heroin hidden in Colpetty apartment by Hikkaduwa businessman in connivance with foreigners!

Police were able to find a massive quantity of about Rs. 108 crores worth heroin yesterday (22) in a luxury mansion in Colpetty. It is of special interest to note that this racket involving American nationals and an Afghan is very much similar to the raid conducted in Dehiwala previously in the form of tracking down a massive quantity of heroin.

In this particular raid, 5 persons were taken into custody and the amount of the narcotics was 97 kilogrammes. Among the 5 arrested were Americans aged 29 years and 43 years, an Afghan, a 41
year old businessman running a hotel in Hikkaduwa and his 39 year old accomplice, a senior police officer said.

According to a tip-off received by a police inspector of Special Task Force Intelligence, this Hikkaduwa hotel businessman was in the habit of coming to Colombo frequently and take away heroin and he has got together with Police Narcotics Bureau and carried out an extensive investigation in this connection.

On information received that this millionaire businessman was to come to a super market in Colpetty, according to the investigations, around 10.30 in the morning yesterday Intelligence Officers of Special Task Force and officers of Police Narcotics Bureau had laid an ambush in the vicinity of the super market, Police Special Task Force say.

The suspect businessman and his accomplice had come to that spot at approximately 11 in the morning where the ambushers were and it was observed that some parcel was handed over to this businessman by an American national who had come to that spot. The officers had then promptly gone into action and arrested the three suspects. It was revealed that what the foreigner handed over was a parcel of heroin and when checking the foreigner further, a key of a house of a superior housing complex situated close to Galle Face along Galle Road, Colpetty was found in his trouser pocket, a high official of Special Task Force said.

Accordingly the officers who got into action have taken the suspect to that housing complex and on inquiring from security officers there, it was found that they were living at house No. 4 on the first floor of that housing complex. When officers made a check on that house, they were able to take two large travelling bags where a kilo each of yet another another quantity of 96 kilos containing heroin were found. Another American national and an Afghan who was in that house were taken into custody with that stock of heroin.

The two locals who were so arrested were U.D. Indrajith Pathmakumara (41) living in Theeranagama, Hikkaduwa and K. Chaminda Dimuthu Amarasingha (39) of Milla area, Godagamattha, Hikkaduwa, Police Spokesman, Superintendent of Police Mr. Ruwan Gunasekera said. 9 mobile phones, an Ipad and a computer were recovered by police. Mr. Ruwan Gunasekera further said that an American was arrested with  heroin in his possession in this country was in 1955 while an Afghan was apprehended after the year 2008. Police Spokesman also mentioned that 42 foreigners were taken into custody last year. He also said that of the five suspects, three were accosted at a super market in Colpetty while the other two were arrested at the luxury housing complex situated close to Galle Face, Colpetty.

These suspects have rented out this house at a monthly rental of Rs. 2 1/2 lakhs last December 21st and when the rental of one month expired they had extended the period by paying money for yet another month, police say. This gang has been involved in narcotic dealing for quite sometime with foreigners arriving in this country on tourist visa and then renting out luxury houses and engaging in narcotics operations, police further say.

Police sources also say that the two foreigners had come to Sri Lanka from time to time. In order to detect as to how these narcotics had come into their possession, the suspects have been handed over to Police Narcotics Bureau for further questioning. Further investigations are underway in connection with this incident under Commanding Officer, Senior Deputy General of Police, Mr. M.R. Lateef and directions of Director of Police Narcotics Bureau, Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr. Thilak Dhanapala.