Arrest of excise undercover team for firing at car in Bambalapitiya causes stir

An undercover drug busting operation launched by the Excise Narcotic Control Unit officials who fired several rounds at a vehicle driven by two drug dealers on Marine Drive at Bambalapitiya last evening caused much stir as the Police ultimately arrested Excise sleuths over the shooting incident.

The police media division initially reported an incident where two unidentified vehicles driven by unknown groups had been involved in a shooting incident near a filling station on Marine Drive at Bambalapitiya at around 4.30pm yesterday.

The Bambalapitiya Police which started inquiries found several spent rounds of a pistol from the crime scene, whilst the two vehicles as witnessed by the bystanders had fled the area.

Shortly after, Wellawatta Police took a van carrying four Excise officials including an Excise Inspector in plain clothing who were suspected to have opened fire at the other vehicle driven by two drug suspects. The police have also seized the service pistol of the Excise Inspector. They also found an abandoned vehicle in Wellawatta, a Honda Vezel, about two kilometers away from the shooting scene.

When contacted Excise Spokesman Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe told the Daily Mirror the Excise Narcotic Control Unit officials following a lengthy probe had gone to seize two drug dealers in the Bambalapitiya area. A team of eight Excise personnel in two vehicles each carrying four officials had gone for the raid and they had used a decoy to purchase drugs from the dealers in their own vehicle.

The Excise decoy in civvies had managed to purchase about 150grams of Heroin from one of the two suspects in the car and when they were about to seize him the second suspect in the car had sped away. The Excise sleuths had then opened fire at the wheels of the fleeing car in a bid to stop it but failed.

They had then taken the seized suspect with the drugs in their first vehicle and had retreated to the Excise Narcotic Control Unit office, whilst the second van carrying the remaining Excise officials was following them. It was during this moment when a team of Wellawatta Police had managed to stop and seize the second vehicle driven by the Excise officials.

Commissioner Kumarasinghe said the Excise was to report the entire incident to the police in due course when the Police had arrested their men. An Excise Deputy Commissioner had started an inquiry over the matter and had instructed the Superintendent of Excise Narcotic Control Unit to report to the Wellawatta Police and assist with the investigations.

When contacted acting Police Spokesman DIG Ruwan Gunasekara told the Daily Mirror last night the police were not aware of an Excise team arresting any drug suspect. He said SSP Colombo South Division had commenced a special inquiry and will record statements from the arrested Excise officials before further legal action is determined.

Both Wellawatta and Bambalapitiya Police Stations are looking for the persons who had abandoned the car which had been shot at. (Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana)