Manhunt on for Pakistani drug trafficker
March 10, 2014
By Ruwan Laknath Jayakody-March 10, 2014
The Pakistani mastermind behind the smuggling of 36 kg of heroin worth Rs 270 million, which had been seized by Sri Lanka Customs (SLC) last week, had managed to slip away, authoritative sources told Ceylon Today. Customs officials on Saturday (8), had handed over the 36 kg of heroin, which had been shipped from Karachi as well the investigation into the racket, to the police.
The boxes containing the narcotics, shipped under the guise of building materials, were found on Thursday (6) night at the Orugodawatte Customs Clearing Yard. The Pakistani national is said to have escaped while being transported in a three-wheeler, to be questioned by the relevant authorities. The licence used by the Pakistani, who is said to have checked into a hotel in Colombo during the period of clearance after submitting a private address to which the consignment had to be delivered, is also said to be a fake as was the Pakistani passport he had in his possession, which had expired in 2010.
However, denying allegations of arresting the Pakistani national or of him having escaped, Customs Media Spokesperson, Leslie Gamini, said: "On Saturday (8), in the evening, we handed over the entire investigation to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB). Prior to this, we arrested four suspects, but they also have now been released. These suspects were wharf clerks and shipping agents. However, we never arrested a Pakistani national in relation to this incident."
Although wharf clerks are hired to clear consignments coming into the country, they are however exempt from any responsibility for the contents of the imports.
Meanwhile, officials of the Department of Immigration and Emigration have been notified about the details of the Pakistani's expired passport.
"The Pakistani national has not left the country. We are going to trace him. The contents were not in a container but in wooden boxes in the midst of household items. The presence of bolt nails had aroused the suspicion of the Customs officers on duty. The two wooden boxes had been shipped in his name. We have deployed a special team," Police
The Pakistani mastermind behind the smuggling of 36 kg of heroin worth Rs 270 million, which had been seized by Sri Lanka Customs (SLC) last week, had managed to slip away, authoritative sources told Ceylon Today. Customs officials on Saturday (8), had handed over the 36 kg of heroin, which had been shipped from Karachi as well the investigation into the racket, to the police.
The boxes containing the narcotics, shipped under the guise of building materials, were found on Thursday (6) night at the Orugodawatte Customs Clearing Yard. The Pakistani national is said to have escaped while being transported in a three-wheeler, to be questioned by the relevant authorities. The licence used by the Pakistani, who is said to have checked into a hotel in Colombo during the period of clearance after submitting a private address to which the consignment had to be delivered, is also said to be a fake as was the Pakistani passport he had in his possession, which had expired in 2010.
However, denying allegations of arresting the Pakistani national or of him having escaped, Customs Media Spokesperson, Leslie Gamini, said: "On Saturday (8), in the evening, we handed over the entire investigation to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB). Prior to this, we arrested four suspects, but they also have now been released. These suspects were wharf clerks and shipping agents. However, we never arrested a Pakistani national in relation to this incident."
Although wharf clerks are hired to clear consignments coming into the country, they are however exempt from any responsibility for the contents of the imports.
Meanwhile, officials of the Department of Immigration and Emigration have been notified about the details of the Pakistani's expired passport.
"The Pakistani national has not left the country. We are going to trace him. The contents were not in a container but in wooden boxes in the midst of household items. The presence of bolt nails had aroused the suspicion of the Customs officers on duty. The two wooden boxes had been shipped in his name. We have deployed a special team," Police
Media Spokesman, SSP Ajith Rohana, said.
March 10, 2014
The Welimada SLFP organizer A.S.R. Bandusena has been remanded until March 21 by the Welimada Magistrate Court today. Bandusena was arrested by the Welimada police for allegedly threatening and insulting the Director of the Welimada General Hospital.
