Airman among three arrested over drug racket

Three suspects including an air force sergeant have been arrested in connection with a drug racket operated from within the Negombo Prison.

Police said the Western Province Intelligence Unit officers arrested a 40-year old sergeant attached to the SLAF Base in Katunayake on Saturday with 100 grams of heroin and 400 grams of Kerala Cannabis in possession in Seeduwa.

The police also arrested two other suspects, the wife and a brother of an inmate at the Negombo Prison,  following the questioning of the suspect. Police said the inmate has been operating the drug trafficking from the prison.

The police recovered over 2kgs of Kerala Cannabis from the inmate's house.

Investigations revealed that the inmate, who ran the racket had regularly called the arrested wife and the brother using a mobile phone. They had carried out the distribution of drugs based on the instructions received by the inmate.

Police said the money earned from operations have been deposited into a bank account under the name of the wife.

The air force sergeant was handed over to the Seeduwa Police and is to be produced in the Negombo Magistrate's Court while the other two suspects were handed over to the Minuwangoda Police.

They would be produced in the Minuwangoda Magistrate’s Court. (Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)