Chief suspect in heroin smuggling racket arrested

Drug trafficker Kaludura Chaminda Thabrew alias Bob Marley who was wanted over smuggling drugs into the country, was arrested in Elpitiya by the Police Narcotics Bureau yesterday.

The suspect is a 41-year old and was identified as the chief suspect in the 288.64 kgs of heroin seized from a fishing trawler on August 30.

The street value of the seized consignment of heroin is believed to be over Rs. 2,321 million.

Police had sought public assistance to locate the suspect, believed to be the mastermind behind the drugs smuggling racket.

Five suspects were arrested by State Intelligence Service and the Sri Lanka Navy with the stock of heroin.

The multi-day fishing trawler seized by the Navy on suspicion of smuggling heroin, had ventured out to sea on July 30, 2021 and it is suspected that the consignment of narcotics was fetched to the trawler from foreign smugglers in international waters.