WhatsApp organizer 'Amitha Hamuduruwo' exposes Thailand racket

Twenty-two individuals, posing as Buddhist monks returning to the island after a visit to Thailand, have been arrested by the Police Narcotics Bureau at the Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport with a stock of drugs valued at over 110 million rupees. They arrived on the island around 10 PM on April 25th. This is considered the largest drug bust in the history of Katunayake Airport, as well as the first instance where a group of individuals in monastic robes was caught with drugs.

The drugs were concealed in false bottoms of identical, multi-colored travel bags carried by the suspects. Acting on intelligence, officers were able to discover a stock of 'Kush' and 'Hash' drugs weighing 112 kg, cleverly hidden among educational equipment, sweets, and food items during the inspection. Police state that approximately five kilograms of drugs were found in each individual's travel bag.

This trafficking operation was orchestrated by a chief monk named Amitha, connected to the Kadawatha and Angunakolapelessa areas, who has been arrested by the police in the Meegahawatta area of Gampaha. Twenty-one young monks under the age of thirty, pursuing higher education in universities and various institutions, along with a Pirivena teacher, were recruited for this trip through social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.

On April 22nd, they departed for Thailand under a sponsorship that provided free air tickets, accommodation, and meals. The organizers had instructed them to bring back several bags containing school supplies to Sri Lanka. Investigators found photos and videos on their mobile phones showing the group engaging in various activities dressed in lay attire during their stay in Thailand.

Police investigations have revealed that this organized group had also taken twelve monks to Thailand last month and had planned to take another group in the coming month. Following the presentation of the twenty-two arrested suspect monks to the Negombo Magistrate's Court on April 26th, Additional Magistrate Subhani Abeysekera ordered them to be remanded for seven days for questioning.

Meanwhile, the Mahanayake Theros of the Three Nikayas have issued a special statement, asserting that engaging in such an organized drug trafficking operation under the guise of the Buddhist robe brings severe disrepute to the Sri Lankan monastic community before the world. Through this statement, they further emphasized that this illegal and anti-religious act is strongly condemned, and all individuals posing as monks involved should face appropriate legal punishment and be expelled from the monastic order.