Colombo Fort police seize illicit drugs

Stock of illicit drugs including cannabis and several other stimulant drugs mixed with illicit chemical substances imported to the country were seized from a shop in Colombo 13, in a raid conducted by a special team from the Colombo Fort police on Tuesday 7.

‘Daily News’ reported on Wednesday that one hundred packets of extral plus (pamparata), 96 packets of hans (a brand of scented chewing tobacco), 525 tins of svs dust (stimulants placed under the tongue) and 2,500 packets of nizam betel mixed with cannabis, were taken into police custody on a tip-off.

Fort Police OIC Chief Inspector Chamil Ratnayake said that further investigations are being conducted to arrest the shop owner on the statement of the person in the shop, who was arrested on the charges of selling illicit drugs.

“We believe these illicit drugs were brought to the country to supply them to school children and nattamis (laborers) at the Pettah market,” OIC Ratnayake said.

Meanwhile, ‘Daily Mirror’ reported that Excise Department in Matale in the hill country raided a Beedi manufacturing centre in Galewela on Tuesday 7, and took into custody nearly 1,000 kg of tobacco and a stock of Beedi, all worth Rs. 1.5 million.

Three persons including the owner of the centre were arrested by the Excise Officers for operating the business without a valid permit.

Officers alleged that the tobacco has been mixed with saw dusts in the manufacture of Beedies and well known trade names had been pasted on the wrappings.