Man gets life imprisonment in heroin case

Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo High Court yesterday sentenced a convict in a heroin case to life imprisonment.

High Court Judge Lalith Jayasuriya convicted Arumugam Siriganeshan for possessing 7.24 grams of heroin and trading it.

Siriganeshan (21) of Wellampitiya Road, Modera, Colombo 15 was taken into custody on October 23, 2000 by a group of Police officers led by Chief Inspector Jayantha Liyanage attached to Dematagoda Police.

He was taken into custody with 40 grams of powder and the Government Analyst's Department confirmed it contained 7.24 grams of heroin.

According to a statement made by Ganeshan to Police he was born in Vavuniya. He worked at St. John's Fish Market. Later Asanka in Modera asked him to join in trading heroin. Asanka gave him a packet of heroin and asked him to hand it over to Lalitha at 100 Estate, Maligawatta.

Siriganeshan stated that while he was on his way to meet Lalitha, Police took him into custody on October 23, 2000. Police found the packet of heroin hidden in his underwear.

The Court observed the case was proved beyond reasonable doubt. Senior State Counsel Riyas Bary appeared for the prosecution.