7 police chiefs who maintained connections with underworld figures have been banned from leaving the country.

Gampaha Chief Magistrate Bandula Gunaratne has imposed a travel ban on seven police officers, including the former OIC of the Western Province North Crimes Division, who are accused of engaging in drug trafficking while maintaining connections with drug traffickers abroad.

The officers subjected to the travel ban are Linton Leonard Silva, Kasun Subhashana, Ranjith Ranasinghe, Manoj Priyadarshana Hewawasam, Tharaka Maduranga Abeykoon, Kolitha Lakmal Rajapaksa, and Terence Cedric Peiris, who served in the said Crimes Division. This order was issued based on a request made to the court by the current OIC of the Western Province North Crimes Division, Chief Police Inspector R.G.C. Padmasiri.

On April 07, a raid was conducted in the Bollatha area of Ganemulla based on information received by Police Inspector Anjana, during which Mangala Suraj Perera and a motorcycle were arrested with 09 kg of heroin and over 12 kg of 'ice' drug. Following a complaint received by the OIC that a group of officers from that division were involved in drug trafficking related to this raid, a special investigation has been launched into eight officers involved in the said operation.

Investigations conducted through WhatsApp conversations and photographs found on the mobile phone of an arrested suspect revealed that these officers maintained connections with traffickers Ranjith Kumara Dissanayake alias 'Konda Ranji' and 'Dippitigoda Lahiru', who are hiding abroad. It was further revealed that three kilograms of cocaine taken into police custody during a raid on a house in the Bollatha area of Ganemulla had been trafficked by Police Constable (88617) Hennayake, who was involved in that operation.

The said constable had used a rented motor vehicle to transport this cocaine stock, and both the vehicle and the relevant rental agreement have already been traced by the police. Considering the police's submission that further investigations could be hampered if the suspect officers travel abroad, the Magistrate imposed this travel ban on the seven officers and ordered that the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration be informed, and that the progress of the investigation be immediately reported to the court.