Drug dealer blows himself up

Police launched a countrywide campaign two months ago to eliminate the dangerous drug menace that has plagued the country. Drugs have become a serious problem with schoolchildren and juveniles getting hooked on dangerous drugs such as heroin and Ganja (Cannabis sativa). Several raids have been carried out in cities and rural areas to apprehend those linked to the drug trade.

IGP Mahinda Balasuriya told a media briefing recently that the campaign against drugs have been successful. Eight kilograms of heroin and over 60,000 kilograms of Ganja were detected within two months. Over 70 kilograms of heroin were seized from early January this year.

Babul in large quantities were detected in different areas of the country. Over 16,000 suspects linked to the drug trade have been arrested during the past two months, he said.

Several raids were also carried out in the Nuwara Eliya town on December 1. The raids were carried out on the orders of DIG Central Range (East), Lucky Peiris and SSP Nuwera Eliya Division, Gamini Maturata. The aim was to eliminate dangerous drugs in the Nuwara Eliya district. Nuwara Eliya has become a notorious transit point for transporting Ganja to the Western Province. Couriers find it convenient to smuggle Cannabis sativa from growing areas such as Tanamalvila and Hambegamuwa via Wellawaya. The demand for ganja has soared in recent times due to the short supply of heroin in the market.

Tip off

On December 1 following a tip off, a police party led by a Sub Inspector questioned a man at the Nuwara Eliya bus stand. Several persons in the bazaar suspected him to be a drug courier. While the man was being searched they found several packets of ganja in his possession. The Sub Inspector who questioned the suspect was a former Special Task Force (STF) officer who had undergone combat training. The suspect was later whisked away to the police station to be questioned further.

Meanwhile, a girl who met him at the Nuwara Eliya bus stand and witnessed the entire episode was in for a rude shock. She saw several policemen questioning him. With much trepidation, she approached her lover and inquired about his plight. He told her that the policemen had inquired from him whether he was an Army deserter. He then told her that the police would take him to the police station to be questioned further. The girl followed him to the police station.

He explained to her why the police nabbed him. He told her that he was arrested because he had been an Army deserter but never disclosed that he was detected for possessing Ganja. She had met him 10 days earlier at Welimada.

It was a chance meeting. He phoned her one day and they met several times thereafter. She was employed in a garment factory at Welimada. It was love at first sight she told the police after interrogation. At the police station, her lover gave her Rs. 6,000 as expenses and some apples that he had bought earlier in the day. He promised to meet her soon, he said.

The suspect was taken to the third floor of the police station to be questioned further. While the policemen were getting ready to question him, the suspect threatened to blow up the building and pulled out a hand grenade from his underwear. He fled down the staircase pursued by several policemen. It was around 3.20 pm. When the suspect approached the entrance to the police station, several policemen grappled with the suspect. Subsequently Sub Inspector Seneviratne held the suspect’s hand to wrench the grenade from him. However, before he could do so the suspect pulled the pin and exploded it killing him instantly injuring 14 policemen nearby.

Drug courier

The drug courier who killed himself has been identified as Kumara Silparatne an Army deserter, resident of Dullewa, Mahawela, Matale. He had deserted the Army some time ago.

According to the police, the suspect along with four others armed with firearms had been involved in six robberies in Matale, five in Kurunegala and two in Puttalam.

The suspect was arrested by the Matale police on July 4, 2009 and was in remand prison before he escaped on September 27, 2009 while being taken to the Rambadagalle Magistrate’s courts. The injured persons are receiving treatment at the Nuwara Eliya Base hospital. ASP Walapone district S.D. Weerasekera is conducting investigations.