By Roy Denish.
A Mount Lavinia heroin arrest led police to detain a Panadura couple allegedly distributing drugs and collecting cash for a suspected network.
MOUNT LAVINIA, Sri Lanka – A husband and wife transporting narcotics in a three-wheeler have been arrested in connection with an organized drug distribution ring, police said.
Mount Lavinia Headquarters Police intercepted the tuk-tuk near the Ratmalana Airport junction after receiving a tip-off that the vehicle was being used to transport drugs.
The suspects identified as a 34-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman residing in Panadura were travelling towards Galle Road when police stopped the vehicle.
Authorities said officers discovered heroin in the possession of the male driver after he began behaving suspiciously during the inspection. A subsequent search of a bag carried by the woman, who was seated in the back, uncovered a substantial amount of cash, which police believe to be proceeds from drug sales.
According to investigators, the couple confessed to working for an underworld drug figure known as “Salindu,” based in Panadura. The suspects reportedly told police that they had been tasked with distributing heroin and collecting payments across the area in exchange for a monthly salary of Rs. 150,000.
Police are holding the couple under detention orders while further investigations are carried out into the broader drug distribution network.
