Deputy Excise Commissioner clarifies
While questioning the two persons they had made contradictory statements. After the officers established that there was some illegal activity taking place The OIC of the Chavakachcheir Police had arrived at the location and informed the Excise Officers to carry out their search in the morning. Therefore, the Excise officers had spent the night on the location with the suspects. In the morning the day after, a search had been conducted in an area spanning about 5 kilometres from 5.30 am to 10 am but had failed to discover any illicit material. The two suspects were released after recording statements regarding the incident
With reference to the news article titled ‘Special Excise Unit robs Rs. 2.5 mn from suspect?’ that appeared in the Daily Mirror of December 01, 2015, Deputy Excise Commissioner (Crimes) J. Pushpakumara Silva has sent the following clarification:
On 20.11.2015 the officers of the D.E.C. (special crimes) unit stopped a small lorry at a location close to Sengupiddy on the Jaffna-mannar road when it tried to move in a suspicious manner. The officers were on their way to Mannar after conducting duty in the Jaffna area when they spotted this small lorry parked at a lone shrub forest area along the road. It had tried to move in a suspicious manner after seeing the officers approaching. There had been two persons in the lorry and back of the lorry had been covered with aluminum sheets so as to transport illicit material.
While the officers were questioning the two persons they had made contradictory statements. After the officers established that there was some illegal activity taking place, the suspects had stated that they came to take a stock of Ganja and another person who was with them had gone to collect the Ganja stock. They had stated that the stock must be hidden in some place in the vicinity. The time was 8.30 pm and the officers had taken steps to inspect the area. It had been revealed that there had been an army camp in the location during the war and therefore the officers had informed the matter to the Chavakachcheri Police since there could be land mines in the area.
Thereafter, the OIC of the Chavakachcheri Police had arrived at the location and informed the Excise Officers to carry out their search in the morning. Therefore, the Excise officers had spent the night on the location with the suspects. In the morning the day after, a search had been conducted in an area spanning about 5 kilometres from 5.30 am to 10 am but had failed to discover any illicit material. The two suspects were released after recording statements regarding the incident.
I have inquired about this incident and nothing outside the duty had been done by the officers concerned.