13 PNB officers re-remanded

Colombo Chief Magistrate today ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate and report the facts pertaining to the senior police officers who assisted the thirteen officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) arrested for their links with drug dealers.

When the case was taken up before Courts, Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna said that if there were more police officers who assisted the suspects, that would be a matter to be inquired into in the future.

The Magistrate further ordered the CID to ensure that these senior ranked police officers were barred from travelling overseas. Accordingly, the Magistrate ordered to further remand the suspects till September 14.

Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) Dileepa Peiris appearing on behalf of the CID, requested the Magistrate that Udara Sampath, a drug dealer and an underworld crime gang leader, who is currently living in Dubai, be named as the fourteenth suspect of the case.

Accordingly, the Chief Magistrate allowed the naming of Udara Sampath as the fourteenth suspect in the case. (Yoshitha Perera)