8 billion worth of 'ice' belonging to 'Parevi Suda' has been found among a stock of towels at Colombo Port.

A massive stock of nearly 470 kg of 'ice' (crystal methamphetamine), worth over 8 billion rupees, was successfully discovered from a container yard at Colombo Port during a joint operation conducted by the Central Criminal Investigation Bureau (CCIB) and the Police Narcotics Bureau. Upon inspecting the relevant containers, which had been brought into the country from Pakistan on June 27, under the guise of re-shipping to Morocco, these drugs were found hidden among a stock of towels. This is reported to be the largest 'ice' drug haul seized on land in the country.

Acting on special intelligence received by Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Ranmal Kodithuwakku from a private informant abroad, police officers, with the assistance of customs officials, carried out this search operation on the 28th, based on a court order obtained on that day. Although it was indicated that the drug consignment was being sent to another country, the police suspect that traffickers had planned to bring them into the country for local distribution.

In connection with this trafficking operation, a 44-year-old businessman named Arumugan Sashidaran, residing in Dematagoda, has been arrested, and it has been revealed that the drugs were imported into the country through his company. Based on his interrogation, two Pakistani nationals residing in a housing complex in Jampettah Street were also arrested, while a wharf clerk who fled during the raid later surrendered to the Police Narcotics Bureau. Investigations currently suspect that individuals named Angoda Priyantha and Ruban, along with a trafficker named 'Parevi Suda' who has fled from Dubai to Pakistan, are behind this operation.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Ashoka Dharmasena states that due to massive raids conducted via sea routes in the recent past, traffickers have now shifted to sending drugs through container shipments. In the past few months, nearly 260,000 suspects have been arrested along with 18,000 kg of drugs. Furthermore, with the previous incident where over 300 'red label' containers were released from the port without proper inspection, there has once again been a strong discussion about the security of port container inspections.