Police probe reveals drug promotion through Facebook parties
Facebook group parties are part of a countrywide programme by drug dealers to promote narcotic drugs among young men and women, investigations have revealed.
Excise Department sleuths and Special Task Force personnel last Sunday raided a Belihuloya hotel and arrested 54 people, including four women and found in the possession of revellers ecstasy pills, cocaine, heroin, cannabis and Ice.
Ratnapura District's Chief Excise Inspector D. T. Nandana Perera told the Sunday Times that the raid was conducted after monitoring a Facebook account for more than a month.
He said the group had been extremely cautious and secretive when it spread the message on the Facebook about the party. The message had avoided any mentioning of the date, time and the venue of the party.
He said that after monitoring the Facebook account for more than a month, they were able to get a clue that the party was to be held in the Belihuloya area, but had no idea abut the exact location.
"We obtained a clue through Facebook itself after one of the participants posted a message saying he was going to attend the party," the officer said.
Armed with this clue, the Excise Department detectives sent a team to a hotel, which, they thought, could be the likely venue.
"Our team found out that a party was being held at this hotel. They heard loud music. We then sought the help of the STF. When we approached the hotel for the raid, the music volume had been reduced," Mr. Perera said.
The revellers were from Kandy, Colombo, Anuradhapura, Hambantota, Bandarawela and other places.
Though they were Facebook friends, most of them had not met each other prior to the party.
Investigations revealed that the organisers had booked three rooms in the hotel, after telling the management that they were to have a small party for 25 people from Saturday night till Sunday dawn.
The hotel had warned them that no alcohol would be allowed as Sunday was Poson Poya.
The hotel staff told police that though they were told only 25 people would come, some 75 people turned up.
Investigations have revealed that the organisers had charged Rs 1,500 from each participant and sold them drugs. Ecstasy pills were sold at Rs 4,000 and 5,000 each, depending on the strength. Also on offer were narcotic drugs such as cocaine, heroin, cannabis and Ice.
Detectives said they believed that to attract more participants to the party, the organisers had invited prostitutes. Contraceptives were also found in the rooms.
The group is reported to have organised five to six other similar parties in different parts of the country earlier, but had gone undetected. It was also found that among the organisers were DJs and they had been provided with drugs by another group.
Two of the main suspects are from Pelmadulla and Balangoda.
“We believe that they do not organise such parties in Colombo or its suburbs because the chances of getting detected are high. As a result they are now selecting areas away from the city," a detective said. All the suspects have been granted bail. Meanwhile the Special Task Force unit at Anuradhapura conducted a raid on an illicit liquor site near the Thalawa railway station and arrested a person who did not have a license.
The Special Task force unit at Dambulla too conducted a raid and confiscated some illicit liquor at Udawayalagama in Sigiriya.