(COLOMBO) – The Sri Lankan authorities have ordered a complete overhaul in the Excise Department after four serving officers were caught red-handed transporting a load of Kerala Cannabis over the weekend.
State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has ordered the immediate transfer of all the officers attached to the Excise Department’s Narcotics Prevention Unit following the weekend bust.
In addition he has also ordered that all the four officers to be interdicted and a special investigation be launched into the incident.
Siyambalapitiya further added that the law will be implemented to the letter against all the officials involved in these illegal activities regardless of their rank and file.
Sleuths from the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) arrested eight persons including 4 officers of the Excise Department along with 45 kg of Kerala Cannabis from the Negombo and Chilaw areas in the country’s western province.
A van belonging to the Excise Department in which the arrested officers were transporting the Cannabis had also been taken into custody, police said.