Cannabis, heroin worth over Rs one million seized

Yasaratne GAMAGE

The STF on Tuesday seized a stock of cannabis and heroin worth over Rs one million and arrested six suspects in Kataragama and Colombo.

Five suspects were arrested with Kg 164.918 of cannabis in their possession at a scrub in Sellakataragama on Tuesday by STF officers attached to the Hambantota camp. Acting on a tip off received by the STF intelligence unit, a team of police officers headed by SI R G A N C K Weerasinghe led the raid while the suspects were transporting the sacks filled with cannabis out of the jungle in the Yala Wild Life Reserve.

The STF said that the estimated market value of the stock was around 7,500,000. The suspects, residents of Tanamalwila were handed over to the Kataragama Police for further investigations. The STF officers of the Headquarters arrested the other suspect with 46.33 grammes of heroin worth Rs 3,67,803 in Grandpass . The suspect, a resident of Kotahena was taken into custody near Mahawatte rail gate. He was handed to Police Narcotics Bureau for legal action.