Trawler arrested with heroin: Suspects further remanded

COLOMBO: A trawler arrested by the Special Operation Unit of the Excise Department on October 24 last year while it was sailing off shore in the Karukupane sea area with a haul of lipsticks, imitation ornaments, over 580 grams of opium and nearly 35 grams of heroin smuggled from India was released by the Chilaw Additional District Judge and Magistrate M.G.G. Siripala last Tuesday on a cash bail of Rs. 3.5 million and the three suspects were further remanded till March 7.

The suspects remanded were Warnakulasuriya Ebert Canicious Thamel, Rajakaruna Hewage Premasiri Jayatissa and Kottehewage Nicholas Percy Antony Fernando of Chilaw.

The trawler and the three suspects were arrested by a special Excise Flying Squad headed by the Unit OIC Prabhath Jayawickrema in a raid conducted in disguise following a tip off.

The motion by Attorney-at-Law Ananda Hettiarachchi on behalf of the 1st suspect for the release of the trawler was vehemently objected by Excise OIC Prabhath Jayawickreme at the beginning but when the 1st accused agreed to abide by all the conditions imposed on behalf of the prosecution, the objections were withdrawn and the Court ordered its conditional release accordingly.

Attorney-at-Law Ananda Hettiarachchi instructed by Attorney-at-Law Sampath Perera appeared for the three suspects.