News - Major drug bust: Suspected peddler missing

A drug peddler from Ferguson Road, Colombo 15 alleged to have been given the contract to hand over heroin to an Army major, has been evading arrest, the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) officials said.

The drug peddler, who was given the contract, had left the area after the major’s arrest. When the case was taken up this week PNB officials told Court` that though every attempt was made to arrest him they failed.

In this case a major was involved in a contract to hand over a haul of drugs for which he was reportedly to be paid up to Rs. 1.5 million. The major had to refund Rs. 1.2 million to the Army as a result of a financial deal he was involved in. As the sum of Rs. 1.2 million which the major owed the Army was too big a sum to be paid back in one instalment, he had undertaken the contract, in order to pay off that amount, court was told.

Court ordered the Superintendent of Prisons to produce the accused in the Murunkan circuit court.

On a tip-off Murunkan police had stopped a bus plying from Mannar to Anuradhapura and arrested the major who was handed over to Narcotics Bureau officials for investigations.

According to these officials a man identified as Sanjeewa Vajira had agreed to give the major a sum of Rs. 1 million to take the drugs. The major had obtained leave and executed the contract, they said.

As many as 14 mobile phones had been used in the deal according to police investigations.

As the investigation team needed details of callers and calls taken from these phones court was asked to order the relevant phone companies to supply the required data. The investigators said the other accused could be discharged as no further action need be taken against him.

Accordingly the magistrate ordered the heads of Dialog, Mobitel, Celltel and Hutch mobile companies to immediately supply the required information to the Narcotics Bureau.

She also ordered the Immigration and Emigration Dept. to ensure that one Sanjeeva Vajira be dissuaded from leaving the island. She ordered that one Gihan whom Sanjeewa is said to have met, be produced in courts.

Meanwhile the inspector who arrested the major has reportedly received death threats allegedly from underworld characters. Inspector Upul Seneviratne of Murunkan police who arrested the major has been reportedly receiving calls threatening him with death.

According to the inspector’s colleagues among the callers were a Muslim and a Sinhala man.

The inspector has informed his superiors about the death threats while an entry has been made in the police log book.

The Army major involved in this case is A.G.Kamal Shantha, resident at Kitulampitiya, Galle while his accomplice is identified as Don Janaka Priyashantha from Handapangoda.

According to Narcotics Bureau officials after accepting the contract from Sanjeewa to transport the drugs from Mannar the major had taken leave from his Panagoda camp and proceeded to the Thalladi camp at Mannar. Then in the company of a corporal he had gone to Pesalai where two unidentified men had handed over a parcel to him near the Murugan kovil.

He had come back to the Thalladi camp where he had changed into civils and was travelling to Colombo in a bus when he was arrested at Murunkan, officials said.