Police seize heroin worth Rs 1,141m from five individuals including three foreign nationals

Five suspects including three foreign nationals have been arrested in Kollupitiya today (Jan 22) over the possession of narcotics by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) and the STF.

The arrest was carried out following separate tip-offs that were received by the two units.

During a joint operation carried out by the PNB and the STF, a 29-year old US national was arrested with just over one kilogram of heroin in the vicinity of the Liberty Plaza building in Colpetty.

Police also arrested two locals of ages are 39 and 42 at 10:30 am who had arrived to collect the narcotic package. A vehicle in which the suspects had arrived was also confiscated by the police personnel.

Investigations surrounding the American suspect had then led to the discovery of a key belonging to a house at a luxury flat in Colpetty.

The police who had then searched the house had discovered 92 parcels of heroin in four travelling bags. The haul was valued at Rs 1141 million and had weighed at just under 100 kilograms.

Nine mobile phones, three laptops, one iPad and a foreign passport that were found to be in the possession of the suspect, were also nabbed by the Police.

Police said that the arrest of the American national was the third since December 03, 1994 while the arrest of the Afghan national was the second since September 29, 2008.

(Pics by M.A. Pushpakumara)