News
How did drug baron escape? Prisons Chief asks Police Chief to conduct probe
View(s):A local drug baron’s escape, while being treated in hospital, has prompted prisons authorities to seek Police help, Prisons Superintendent J. N. Upuldeniya said yesterday.
“We have doubts about claims made by the two prison guards who were on duty at the time the prisoner escaped from Ragama hospital,” he told the Sunday Times.
The prisons guards had claimed that the suspect, Thushitha Chamara, 37, made good his escape when he went to the toilet after his handcuffs were removed.
“The two guards were armed and they claim he escaped through the toilet. But there is no passage he could have used. If they had noticed him fleeing they should have used their weapons, but there is no trace of that either,” Mr. Upuldeniya said.
According to the Police Narcotics Division the accused was taken into custody at a residence in Battaramulla when he was packeting heroin. He was in possession of 1.5 kilos of heroin.
A senior officer at the division said that the suspect was wanted in connection with several cases and had been evading arrest. On one occasion he had escaped while in custody and the police had been able to track his movements and finally arrest him.The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) has taken over the investigation on a directive by IGP N.K. Illangakoon while the Prisons
Department is conducting an inquiry into the conduct of the two guards and
whether they could be charged with negligence of duty. Both of them have been interdicted.
Police have also sought the assistance of the public to re-arrest the suspect. They said his right hand was heavily tattooed.