(COLOMBO) – The Sri Lanka Police and the Excise Department are involved in a growing spat owing to instances of miscommunication and the matter is to be taken up before the island’s Actg. Police Chief Deshabanda Tennakoon.
In the most recent development the police arrested a truck transporting smuggled Kendu leaves that was being escorted by two Excise sleuths at the start of this week.
The occupants of the truck that included the two Excise officers and a civilian driver were subsequently taken to a local police station and questioned for several other even through the Excise officers had shown their official identification papers.
The three persons were later produced before a local Magistrate and the Excise officials were provided bail while the driver was ordered to be remanded for single day.
A senior Excise official said that the police had obstructed the duties of his officials and had not shown any cooperation despite the latter’s efforts to identify themselves and explain the situation.
He said this is becoming a grave issue as it leads to confusion and hindrance in carrying out their duties as the police do not cooperate with the other law enforcement agencies in the country.
A similar incident took place a few months ago when the police obstructed an Excise team who were after an underworld gang transporting heroin in Wellawatte, which led to an exchange of fire between the two authorities during broad daylight.
In another incident at Orugodawatta in the commercial capital of Colombo a few months back a police team seized a container load of smuggled cigarettes that was being escorted by the Sri Lanka Customs thereby obstructing the duties of the Customs officials.
