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| Sunday, 12 September 2004 |
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Heroin smuggling across Palk Strait continues by Jayampathy Jayasinghe There seem to be a steady flow of heroin to Sri Lanka judging from detections by the Police, Customs and the Excise Departments during the first six months of the year. Despite incarceration and stiff penalties imposed by courts, smugglers continue to bring in large quantities of heroin as it is a profitable business. It has been found that heroin is smuggled into the country across the Palk Strait from India. However Indian authorities have denied the assertion made by the Sri Lankan counterparts. In fact a large haul of heroin weighing over 11 kilos with a street value of Rs 200 million was detected by the police at Anguruwatota last week while it was being transported in a 3- wheeler taxi. Four policemen manning a road block at Kottangas junction grew suspicious when they noticed a 3-wheeler parked near a tea kiosk beyond a security checkpoint for an unusual long period. Futile effort The policemen knew that something fishy was going on. Their instincts told them that the cab driver was up to no good. Their prediction proved correct when the 3-wheeler sped past the security checkpoint despite policemen signalling the taxi to be halted. Instantaneously the policemen got on to their motorcycles and thus began a long chase. In the meantime OIC Anguruwatota, Inspector H.A. Gunaratne's radio crackled and the policemen told him that they were chasing a three-wheeler along Horana road. The OIC on a routine mobile patrol too then joined the chase. Meanwhile the cab driver opened up full throttle and the cab was now barrelling down the Anguruwatota- Horana road followed by the OIC's jeep and two motor cycles ridden by the Policemen. The policemen then noticed the cab driver peeping through the mirror and then glancing sideways to gauge the distance between them. The chase went on like this for nearly 45 minuets and the cab driver by then would have realised the policemen were closing in. By this time the Cab, the OIC's jeep and the two motor cycles were at Mulgodakanda village, a shrub jungle in Anguruwatota area. The cab having realised that it was a futile effort to continuing racing with the police abandoned the 3 -wheeler with 12 kilos of heroin with a street value of Rs. 30 million . He then escaped by running away through a jungle route. Soon OIC Anguruwatota, Inspector Gunawardena, Police Constable 3257 Chanadra Lal, Reserve Police Constable 16187 Gamage, 24133 Manoj and the Police Grama Arasksaka Niladari 2199 Silva, arrived at the spot and recovered the haul of heroin worth millions of rupees. OIC Gunaratna meanwhile had detailed several police officers to apprehend the three wheeler cab driver, whom they have identified as a notorious drug dealer from the Southern Province. This was the biggest haul of heroin detected for this year. Terrorist organisations According to Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) sources heroin smuggling across the Palk Strait have increased due to the involvement of terrorist organisations taking to heroin smuggling in a big way. DIG-Crimes, Intelligence and the Police Narcotics Bureau, Jayantha Wickremaratne said that Indian authorities have shown a willingness to share information relating to heroin smuggling between the two countries. However due to poor patrolling of vast Indian beaches and sea routes, smugglers find it easy to smuggle in heroin through the Palk Strait, he said. Private bus Meanwhile the Talaimannar Police detected a man carrying 4 kilos and 200 grams of heroin travelling in a private bus bound to Colombo last week. The Police after receiving information that a man was about to smuggle heroin to Colombo, the police laid an ambush and had to wait for a long time. But as the man did not turn up as expected the police nearly called off the raid. At this stage the informant appeared and told IP Thiagarajah that the courier had boarded the bus from another point. At this stage OIC Thalaimannar, IP Silva and Sub Inspector V. Thiagarajah gave chase and arrested the suspect. The heroin was found wrapped inside a travelling bag. The second biggest detection of heroin for the current year was detected at Kattuwa when the Police Narcotics Bureau officers arrested a suspect man with 7 kilos of heroin worth Rs 14 million rupees. The suspect had brought the heroin in a luxury car from Negombo to be delivered to a person who arrived in a 3 -wheeler taxi. Both suspects have been remanded pending further inquiries. |
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