Anuradhapura lawyer arrested for smuggling narcotics to detainees

• Investigations reveal that the suspect was also a drug addict

By B. G.Chaturanga- Anuradhapura

A lawyer practising in the Anuradhapura court was arrested yesterday by Anuradhapura Division Crime Investigations Unit on suspicion of peddling narcotics to detainees under the pretext of giving them legal advice.

Acting on a tip-off, he was arrested when he was using drugs in the Kada 12 area of Anuradhapura.

The 44-year-old lawyer was a resident of Parasangaswewa, Anuradhapura.

The suspect is alleged to have close links with drug traffickers who procured him illegal drugs and other intoxicants which he sold to the detainees brought to court under the pretext of providing them legal advice.

Police said he had supplied heroin, Ganja, cigarettes and tobacco to detainees.

They said the suspect had in his possession 2,300 milligrams of heroin at the time of arrest. Investigations revealed that the suspect was also a drug addict.

The suspect lawyer was to be produced before Anuradhapura Magistrate yesterday afternoon. In recent times, six police officers involved in alleged heroin smuggling, three police officers involved in Kerala Ganja peddling and a number of government officials involved in similar offences were arrested.

A police team under OIC Crime Investigation Division CI Chaminda Gunasekara had conducted investigations and arrested the suspect.