Drugs in magazines:

Police on trail of foreigner

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

Sleuths from the Police Narcotics Bureau are on the trail of a British national who managed to escape from the Central Parcel Post Office at D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha, Colombo 10 last week when Customs officials found that the parcels he came to clear contained 366 milligrams of hashish mailed to an address at Kollupitiya.

The British national is on the run, police sources told the Sunday Observer.”

However, Customs and Central Post Office employees managed to apprehend the other British national who came along with him that day.

He was nabbed while attempting to run, police said.

Meanwhile, police produced him in courts last week and a detention order was obtained till April 28 to further investigate him regarding the hashish incident.

Police Narcotics Bureau officials said that they will forward the quantity of hashish found inside the parcels to the Government Analyst for a report as directed by Courts. Police Narcotics Bureau officials are tight-lipped about the ongoing investigations as it would jeopardise the case.

The Police Media Spokesman, SP Ajith Rohana said although the parcels were addressed to a well-known local actress who resided at Kollupitiya, she had vacated the rented-out house almost ten years ago and was not linked to the incident.

The suspects involved in the case probably may have given her name and address, he said.

Police meanwhile said they have alerted the Banadaraike International Airport (BIA) and other police stations to keep a lookout for the suspect trying to flee the country.