(COLOMBO) – A former Sri Lankan Army sniper was taken into custody in connection with a botched attempt to free a suspect who was being held at a high security police facility in the commercial capital of Colombo, police said on Wednesday.
The alleged incident took place at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Police HQ in Colombo on September 10 this year.
The former sniper was picked up from his family home in Godagama, Matara some 140 kilometres south of Colombo, they said.
Nadun Chinthaka, alias ‘Harak Kata’ has been held in detention on a court order without a trial for his alleged involvement in organized crime from money laundering, drug smuggling, contract killings and so on since the start of this year.
During the botched break out that also involved the connivance of a police guard Chintaka’s interrogators were provided with tea laced with a drug.
However the suspect was apprehended by other officers after he attempted to make a break out.
The suspect police guard remains at large and his believed to have fled the country.
The policeman’s mother and another relative were also subsequently arrested and are currently being held in custody on a detention order.
