Seven nabbed with 224kg of heroin during naval raid

Pic by Lahiru Harshana

• 35,702 suspects arrested, 1,638kg of heroin seized in 2019

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya 

Seven suspects believed to be fishermen were arrested by the navy in the seas off Galle with 224 kilos of heroin which has a street value of more than a staggering Rs. 2 billion, the navy said. 

Navy Spokesman Lieutenant Commander Isuru Sooriyabandara said during a patrol in the southern seas on Sunday night, naval personnel had intercepted a suspicious trawler. The stock of heroin was recovered following the search of the trawler. 

The suspects along with the drugs were handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) for further investigations. 

During a press briefing held recently at PNB, Police Spokesman SSP Ruwan Gunasekera said five of the suspects aged between 32 and 50, who were residents of Marawila and Chilaw, were arrested with the stock of heroin in the fishing trawler while the other two were arrested as they arrived to take over the stock. The duo was identified as residents of Marawila and Kochchikade. 

The police spokesman said initial investigations revealed that the heroin stock was smuggled in to the country through the sea route from Pakistan.