How heroin racket of Dehiwala zoological gardens worker was busted

How heroin racket of Dehiwala zoological gardens worker was busted

Special Task Force says how an employee and six others were taken into custody day before (16) night with heroin 683 grams worth about 70 lakhs, a foreign-manufactured pistol and five bullets for it. Special task force were able to a sum of Rs. 20 lakhs suspected to have been earned from the said heroin racket and these persons were arrested at Dehiwala, Katubedda and Kawdana areas. 

According to a tip off received by police special task force headquarters special camp, one Kasun
Shehan Kaluvitharana (34) was arrested day before night at Dehiwala with 10 grams heroin in his possession and on information revealed by him a a worker at Dehiwala zoological gardens by the name of Nalaka Pushpakumara (41) was then taken into custody, police media spokesman Mr. Ruwan Gunasekera said. 

According to information given by him, another about 400 grams of heroin were found inside his locker at zoological gardens. When these suspects were interrogated at length it was revealed about two other suspects who were then arrested inside a luxury vehicle in Katubedda area, Mr. Ruwan Gunasekera said. It was Ranuja Palitha Ranatissa (41) the driver of the vehicle living in Molpe, Moratuwa and Suksudeen Mohommed Junaideen (34) a resident of Ruhunu Rideegama, Ambalangoda. 

When inspecting the luxury vehicle in which the suspects had arrived, 68 grams of heroin were found while 15 grams were found in the possession of suspect Mohommed Junaideen living in Ambalangoda together with a pistol manufactured abroad and 5 bullets of 9 mm. type. Mr. Ruwan Gunasekera remarked. Special task force say that they had rented out this vehicle and that Junaideen who was arrested with the  weapon has come to Dehiwala from Ambalangoda last 12th and had taken lodging at a hotel in Katubedda. 

Special task force are conducting investigations to to ascertain whether they had remained together with the weapon concerned with the intention of carrying out some criminal activity. Special task force further mentions that these racketeers had engaged in this activity on a large scale on instructions of heroin dealer "Chuwa Samantha" who is at present stationed at Welikada prison in connection with heroin activities. This heroin was kept hidden in a locker of the Dehiwala zoological gardens' worker. According to orders secured by Samantha from prison, information was received by special task force that Kasun Shehan would obtain the required amount from the zoo employee and after packetting them has delivered them around Dehiwala area. 

Further information has been received about other suspects linked to this network and special task force has launched operations to arrest them. In respect of information secured regarding this racket, this raid was carried out by a special unit at headquarters under supervision of senior deputy inspector general of police of commanding officer of special task force, Mr. M.R. Latheef after about a period of 6 months. For further investigations the suspects have been handed over to organised crimes prevention division. 

(Indika Ramanayaka, Shrinath Prasanna Jaysuriya and Bandaragama Bimal Gamath Jayasingha, Aluthgama Thusitha Kumara de Silva)