Cyanide vials recovered from Marala Suranga at Welikada Prison

An inmate at the Welikada Prison, Samantha Pushpakumara, alias Marala Suranga, has been arrested by the prison officers on a tip-off by police for possessing cyanide vials.

Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekera said the Western Province Police Intelligence Division received information on Monday that an inmate at the Welikada Remand Prison had received two vials of cyanide and two syringes from an outside individual.

He said following the information gathered by the police, they informed the Prisons Intelligence Unit because police have no authority to raid the prison.

Subsequently, the prisons officers inspected the cell and recovered the cyanide vials and syringes from the inmate’s possession.

The suspect is a resident of Dehiwala and is in the remand custody over heroin possession. The investigation revealed that those cyanide vials were brought inside the prison to assassinate suspect's opponent. (Darshana Sanjeewa)