Nine Iranian drug smugglers remanded

By T. Farook Thajudeen   

Nine Iranians arrested in mid-sea and detained by the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) for seven days were remanded on the orders of Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne after the preliminary investigations had concluded.   

The PNB officers told the Magistrate that the consignment of heroin weighing some 70.690 Kilograms which were in their possession were sent to the Government Analyst for identification and report.  The Police are to carry out a digital forensic inspection on the trawler with the help of GPS technology to identify the origin of the Port of arrival. The trawler is currently docked at the Colombo harbour. 

Investigations had revealed that the heroin had been imported by narcotic kingpin Makandure Madush prior to his arrest in Dubai.