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PM updates House with statement on action taken to date
View(s):Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratna who is embroiled in a controversy, after it came to light that an official attached to his Ministry, had sent a written request to the Customs Dept, asking that a container with a large stock of heroin imported from Pakistan, as a shipment of grease, be released, made a statement in Parliament.
The statement is as follows:
On 30.08.2013 some material found in a container bearing No. APHU 610322/09, was suspected to be heroin. The total weight of the substances, including the covering material, was 261 kg and 292 grm. The stock was sent to the Govt. Analyst’s Dept on 02.09.2013 under the No ENP/2013/12809. The Govt. Analyst, on 08.11.2013, issued analysis report No. N/5481/2013 (CD4055/2013), identifying the substance as heroin, with a net weight of 131 kg and 148.80 grm.
It is reported that a Coordinating Secretary of the Secretary to the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, had issued a letter dated 23.08.2013, to the Manager, South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt.) Ltd, Port of Colombo, PO Box 141, Colombo, and police investigations with regard to this are continuing.
As a police investigation is in progress, it is not possible to comment yet on whose instructions the letter had been issued. At the end of investigations, the action taken against the person who sent the letter, would be informed to the House.
Assistance of the INTERPOL had been sought for the investigation. Further action had been taken to seek the assistance of the Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Task Force through SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk and the SAARC Coordination Group of Drug Law Enforcement Agencies.
Two suspects, Jamal Casif Aziz Abdul of No 323/F/11/3 Islamabad, Pakistan and Mohomed Kamil of T30, Railway Quarters, Maligawatte, Colombo 10, had been taken into custody and remanded after being produced before the Maligakanda Magistrate under B Report No. 7075/2013.
“According to the findings of the investigations done so far, a Pakistani national by the name of Sardar Azar Mohomed Khan had been identified as the person responsible for the importation of this consignment of drugs to Sri Lanka, and he had left Sri Lanka before that container was seized.
“However, after this was brought to the attention of INTERPOL and Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Task Force, it has now been reported that the suspect had been taken into custody near the Kashmir border in Pakistan.
It had also been reported that three officials from the Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Task Force are due to arrive in the country to assist Sri Lanka Anti-Narcotics Bureau officials, following a request I made to the latter to expedite the investigations.
“All persons involved in this drug cartel would be identified after investigations by the Sri Lanka Anti-Narcotics Bureau assisted by the Pakistan Anti-Narcotics Task Force, and produced before courts. The case is scheduled to be taken for next hearing on 11.12.2013 at the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court.”