Police seize 50 kg heroin

Chandrika Perera and Prarthana Weerasinghe

*Valued at over Rs 300 m

*Four including foreigner in custody

A container with a stock of over 50 kgs of heroin valued at over Rs 300 million was seized by Anti Narcotics Bureau sleuths at the Colombo Port premises yesterday morning.

They also arrested four suspects including a foreign national in this connection. The heroin had been smuggled in on the pretext of importing 13,000 kg of potatoes from Pakistan.

The container had balls made of plaster of paris resembling potatoes and the heroin was neatly packed inside them.

The plaster of paris balls containing heroin were packed inside gunny bags used to import potatoes.

Officers who believe that the entire stock weighted over 50 kilos were still busy separating the heroin after breaking open the plastered balls upto noon yesterday.

The detection was made following a tip off received by the Police.

The raid was conducted by a team led by Anti Narcotics Bureau Director SSP Sarath Beddewela under the directions of DIG Sisira Mendis. ‘This is a huge achievement by the police said IGP Mahinda Balasuriya at a press conference held yesterday.

The IGP said the heroine haul which falls into the brown sugar category has a street value of Rs 6 million per kilo. Police are conducting further investigations to arrest the other suspects. He said a dummy container had been used for the raid. One of the arrested suspects was a well-known Colombo businessman.