Police arrest a main suspect of 231kg heroin haul

The police yesterday arrested the owner of the trawler that transported 231kg of heroin valued over Rs. 2.7 billion in Yatiyantota.

The owner of the multi-day trawler, 44-year old Dinayadura Duleep Samantha de Silva, a resident of Beruwala, was arrested today in Yatiyantota with Rs. 1.5 million in cash, the Police Media Spokesman Superintendent of Police Ruwan Gunasekara said.

Police said that the suspect jumped into the Kelani River to escape as police officers attempted to arrest him. However, two police officers attached to the Yatiyantota Police, with great effort, had captured the suspect.

The Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB), assisted by the Police Special Task Force (STF) and Navy, arrested two suspects yesterday in the coastal area between Beruwala and Balapitiya transporting 231.54kg of heroin valued at Rs. 2.778 billion.

According to the police, this is second largest haul of heroin to be seized in Sri Lanka.

It has been revealed that one of the suspects arrested yesterday while transporting the consignment of heroin is a brother of the boat owner.

The police seized the multi-day trawler along with the suspects arrested in Beruwala and the heroin.

Court granted approval to police to detain and question the two suspects