Athurugiriya Raid Leads to Arrest Linked to Drug Network Using Monks

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police have arrested another individual on suspicion of involvement in a drug trafficking operation allegedly carried out using individuals wearing monastic robes.

The arrest was made following a raid conducted at a house in the Athurugiriya area.

Police said the raid was carried out based on information indicating that the suspect had previously sent Buddhist monks overseas and was involved in drug trafficking activities.

According to police, reports analysing the suspect’s mobile phone data have been called for, and further investigations into the incident are currently underway.

Meanwhile, the court has granted permission to detain and interrogate Venerable Agunakolaye Amitananda Thera for a period of seven days. The order was issued yesterday following his arrest on charges of aiding and abetting the transportation of a consignment of narcotics from Thailand to Sri Lanka using 22 young monks.

Police further revealed that a consignment exceeding 110 kilograms of narcotics, identified as Kush and Ash, had been meticulously concealed inside travel luggage and smuggled from Thailand. Tha value of the narcotics is over Rs. 1 Billion.

The 22 monks were arrested by the Police Narcotics Bureau at the Katunayake International Airport the on 26th April, in connection with the incident.

Investigations into the broader drug trafficking network are continuing.