Grandpass Loku Nona's property frozen

Police have taken steps to freeze several properties worth over 5.7 crore rupees belonging to 'Grandpass Loku Nona' alias Mohammed Fawsi Hidaya, who has been identified as a powerful drug trafficker. This special legal action has been taken by officers of the Illegal Assets Investigation Unit attached to the Criminal Investigation Department.

During investigations, it is suspected that all these assets were purchased with money earned from illegal drug trafficking.

A confidential complaint had been received by the Inspector General of Police that this suspect, residing in the Uswetakeiyawa area, and her close associates are accumulating assets and properties on a large scale through drug trafficking. Accordingly, the investigating officers launched a comprehensive investigation in accordance with the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act No. 5 of 2006, as amended by Act No. 40 of 2011. Currently, facts regarding this incident have been reported to the Welisara Magistrate's Court under case number M/U B 5241/24.

According to the information revealed, a luxurious two-story house worth approximately 5 crore rupees, constructed on a 20-perch land in the Pubudugama area of Uswetakeiyawa, belonging to the Wattala Divisional Secretariat division, has been frozen. In addition, a 9.5-perch land located in the Nugape area of the same division, along with the house and a shop room on it, have also been identified as properties acquired using illegal income. During investigations, it has been revealed that the approximate value of this second property is 70 lakh rupees.

In accordance with Section 7(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Assistant Superintendent of Police Janaka Vithanage has issued orders to deactivate (freeze) this pair of properties for a period of seven days. Furthermore, a special request has been made to the court under Section 8(1) for further legal action in accordance with Section 8(2) of the Act. 'Grandpass Loku Nona' and other suspects whose assets have been frozen have currently fled the area, and the police have launched a wide-ranging operation to promptly arrest them and produce them before the Welisara Magistrate's Court.