(COLOMBO) – A Sri Lankan police officer was reported missing and feared dead after he along with other colleagues plunged into a canal in pursuit of a fleeing drug suspect on Thursday morning.
The incident took place at the busy Ja-ela Town in down town Colombo.
Initial investigations have revealed that the suspect had escaped custody from the police station situated nearby and plunged into the canal to evade arrest shortly before he was to be taken to a court.
A group of police officers including the victim had later given pursuit and jumped into the canal that had been swollen owing to overnight rains.
Navy divers were later called in to assist in the search for the missing police officer without any success, police said.
The suspect was however subsequently arrested by police reinforcements that had rushed to the scene.
