Airman among three arrested over drug racket

Wife and brother of prison inmate among them

• The police recovered over two kilos of Kerala cannabis

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya   

Three suspects including an Air Force Sergeant have been arrested in connection with a drug racket operated 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 on possession of 100 grams of heroin and 400 grams of Kerala cannabis in Seeduwa.   
Following the questioning of the suspect, the police also arrested two suspects, the wife and a brother of an inmate at the Negombo Prison, who operates the drugs trafficking racket.   

The police recovered over two kilos of Kerala cannabis from the inmate’s house.   

Investigations revealed that the inmate, who runs 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 from the inmate.  Police said the money earned from operations have been deposited into a bank account maintained by the wife.   

The Airforce sergeant was handed over to the Seeduwa Police to be produced in the Negombo Magistrate’s Court and the other two suspects were handed over to the Minuwangoda Police.   

They would be produced in the Minuwangoda Magistrate’s Court.