#GarlicScam : Businessman's son arrested for possession of stolen goods

by Zulfick Farzan 23-10-2021 | 9:50 AM

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Criminal Investigations Department arrested a 25-year-old man from Bambalapitiya over the Lanka Sathosa #GarlicScam.

The Police Spokesperson said the suspect is the son of the businessman who purchased garlic from Lanka Sathosa in a fraudulent manner.

He is charged with the possession of stolen goods and he will be produced in court on Saturday (23).

#GarlicScam

On the 09th of September 2021, the Consumer Affairs Authority carried out a surprise inspection on imported essential food items.

This raid took place following a tip from a Sathosa employee noting that an illegal transaction was taking place at the Sathosa warehouse in Welisara, where 56,000 kilograms of garlic were released without an invoice.

The #GarlicScam has taken place by using the provisions of the Cabinet Decision taken on the 07th of June to release goods held at ports to Lanka Sathosa.

The #GarlicScam was tipped off by a Sathosa employee, revealed Rear Admiral (Retd) Ananda Peiris, the Chairman of Lanka Sathosa on the 27th of September.

04 Sathosa officers were linked to the #GarlicScam and were sent on compulsory leave.

A top-ranking officer at Lanka Sathosa who was arrested over the #GarlicScam was granted bail recently.

According to the Consumer Affairs Authority investigations, perpetrators had sold a kilogram of garlic to the businessman for Rs. 135/-, however, at that time the price per kilogram of garlic in the Lanka Sathosa Database was listed at Rs. 355/-.

56,000 kilograms of Garlic was sold off in such a manner.

On the 6th of September 2021, the 55-year-old businessman from Bambalapitiya was arrested over the #GarlicScam.

The #GarlicScam was tipped off by a Sathosa employee, revealed Rear Admiral (Retd) Ananda Peiris, the Chairman of Lanka Sathosa on the 27th of September 2021.

“I received an SMS from an employee. The SMS contained four names. The sender noted that these four names are upto something and they had released two freight containers with garlic,” said Rear Admiral (Retd) Ananda Peiris, the Chairman of Lanka Sathosa.

If this employee at Lanka Sathosa has not acted against the illegal act, more freight containers would have been released at Sathosa expense.