• Six luxury vehicles valued over Rs. 180Mn seized
• Suspect has smuggled 21kg of ICE (methamphetamine) this year

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya

Large scale drug trafficker Ruwan Chamila Prasanna alias Dematagoda Ruwan, the elder brother of Dematagoda Chaminda, has smuggled over Rs. 7 billion worth of heroin to Sri Lanka by sea between 2017-2019, police said.

Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa told at a press briefing that preliminary investigations have revealed that 720 kg of heroin, 321 kg of methamphetamine (ICE) and 30 kg of hashish were smuggled into the country during this period.

Dematagoda Ruwan was arrested by the CID on Friday under the Money Laundering Act.

Police also seized six luxury vehicles valued over Rs. 180 million allegedly purchased with the money earned from drug peddling.

In April this year, the Indian Coast Guard arrested a multi-day trawler with five suspects carrying 340 kg of heroin and it was revealed that the contraband of narcotics were brought to Sri Lanka by Dematagoda Ruwan, the spokesman said.

Investigations revealed that the drug smuggler had smuggled over 300kg of heroin in 2017 and 200kg of heroin and 200 kg of ICE in 2018.

He said that the Navy had seized 200kg of heroin that was being sailed into the country in a multi-day trawler in 2019 and that the investigations revealed the contraband had also been brought by Dematagoda Ruwan.
It has been disclosed that 200kg of heroin, 5kg of ICE and 30kg of hashish have been smuggled into the country in 2019, SSP Thalduwa said.

He also said that the suspect has smuggled 21kg of ICE (methamphetamine) into the country this year.
He was produced in court on Saturday and was remanded till November 5.

• Investigations revealed that the drug smuggler had smuggled over 300kg of heroin in 2017 and 200kg of heroin and 200 kg of ICE in 2018