Welikada prisoner operating heroin racket in Matara

The Matara Police arrested a female teacher, her husband and three others who were allegedly operating a large-scale heroin trafficking business.

Police said they believed that a prisoner incarcerated in the Welikada jail was the king-pin behind this racket.

Police investigations have revealed that the suspects have been in this business for a long time and using mobile phones to transfer their ill-gotten lucre. The group are said to have been distributing heroin in several parts of the country.

The police were taking action against drug offenders on a directive by the Southern Province Senior DIG Chandana Wickramaratne to Matara SSP Deshabandu Tennakoon urging that the Southern Province be completely rid of the drug menace.

The police were able to uncover the modus operandi adopted by the drug peddlers when the Matara police anti vice squad arrested a fisherman in Mirissa.

The arrests were carried out by police personnel led by Child and Women’s Bureau OIC Varuni Keshala Bogahawatte. The Matara police sniffer dog “Aja” handled by PC Widanagama led the police personnel to a house in Devinuwara where the gangsters had concealed a large stock of heroin.

Police sources revealed that the teacher’s husband had been in remand on robbery charges. It was during his time in remand that he had befriended the king-pin behind this racket. The police had also seized 16 grammes of heroin. Further investigations are being carried out by police personnel under the direction of Matara HQI Inspector Hemal Prashantha.

They believed that a prisoner incarcerated in the Welikada jail was the king-pin behind this racket