Govt Analyst's Dept hit by drugs racket

Sarath Malalasekera

COLOMBO: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has uncovered a massive drug racket at the Government Analyst's Department following the arrest of four employees of the Department and a Sub-Inspector attached to a Colombo police station.

The suspects including a woman, attached to the Government Analyst's Department were produced before an identification parade yesterday.

CID investigations revealed that the Department's minor employees remove the sealed parcels containing hard drugs and take them out of the Department to be given to hard drug traffickers in the Colombo Division. The CID also recovered several land and properties allegedly purchased by some suspects now in custody from the sale of hard drugs to traffickers.

CID DIG D. W. Prathapasinghe who is directing investigations had deployed a special squad to trace the king-pin of the drug racket. On an application by the CID, Colombo Chief Magistrate and Additional District Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena remanded the suspects pending the completion of the investigations.