8,000KG OF REFUSE TEA SEIZED IN TRANSIT

Acontainer load of refuse tea was seized in transit and two suspects arrested by the STF during a raid at Hingula in Mawanella by the STF in Unambuwa in Gampola. Police said the consignment contained 8000 kilos of refuse tea.

Investigations revealed that the suspects were transporting the stock of refuse tea to Colombo to be blended with pure tea for export.

A senior STF official said they lay in ambush for about eight hours and seized the lorry at around 2a.m. He said a leading businessman who collected refuse tea from factories in the Buwelikada area and transported them to Peliyagoda where he processed the stock for distribution locally or for export.

The suspects stated that the businessman concerned had been carrying on the contraband trade for a long time. The driver of the lorry told police that he did not know the contents of the load and that he had been advised to handover the lorry to another driver at Peliyagoda. He said he was not the permanent driver of the lorry.

CI Sanjeewa Fernando, IP R.A.D.C.S. Ratnayaka, SI Bandara, SI Jayaweera, Sergeants 7677 Champika, 13649 Kumara, PCS 74241 Samarakoon, 10205 Kasturi Arachchi, 24012 Madusanka and 13542 Eshan carried out the raid on the instructions of Kandy Zonal Commander of the STF ASP L.R.A. Rohana.