Seven vehicles taken into custody

The police yesterday seized seven vehicles including four lorries, two vans and a luxury car belonging to a Sub-inspector and a constable attached to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) who were in custody over drug trafficking charges.

Police said a vehicle was taken into custody from Pallewela in Gampaha by a police team led by Gampaha SP Indika Silva and ASP Thusitha Kumara on the advice of Western Province Senior DIG

Deshabandu Tennakoon. Two lorries and two vans were taken into police custody at a food manufacturing factory in Banduragoda.

Police seized a lorry from the sub-inspector’s home while another lorry was taken into custody from a garage at Mirigama and a luxury motor vehicle was taken into custody from a vehicle sale in Maradagahamula area.

Police suspect that these vehicles were brought from the money earned from drugs trafficking. The seized vehicles were taken to the Veyangoda Police Station.

It has been revealed that one of the seized lorries belongs to the police sergeant in custody and the two vans belong to the brother-in-law of the Subinspector.

A total of 18 Police Narcotic Bureau Officers were arrested for operating a drug trafficking ring. Twelve of them were remanded until July 21 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne on Wednesday while the others were detained for questioning.