Heroin seized from Matara belongs to drug trafficker 'Harak Kata' - Police

Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana speaking to reporters said the detection of 74 kilograms & 975 grams of heroin is the 03

rd largest

 haul ever seized from the Southern Province.

Sri Lanka Police arrested two people, a man & a woman, who were traveling in a car during an inspection in 

Denagama

, Matara, and detected several packages of heroin in the car.

Thereafter, a search in the area resulted in the detection of more drugs, said the Police Spokesperson during a media briefing in Matara.

The male suspect (29) is a resident from Negombo while the female suspect (38) is a resident from Kandy, said the Deputy Police Chief adding their car was seized.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that these suspects serve as mules or intermediary operators for drug traffickers and they had entered the expressway network from Katunayake on Tuesday (09) night and made an exit from 

Beliatte

 on Wednesday (10) morning.

Thereafter, they had reached 

Hakmana

 before proceeding to the 

Denagama

 area in Matara, said the DIG adding thereafter they were arrested in a special operation for heroin possession.

In recent months Sri Lanka Police assisted by the Police Special Task Force and the Police Narcotic Bureau carried out raids in the localities of 

Weligama

, 

Midigama,

 and Matara.

In the 

Weligama

 raid, one person was arrested with 111 

kilograms

 of heroin on the 20th of November 2020, by the Police Special Task 

Force

.

On the 24th of February 2021, a Sri Lanka Army soldier and an army deserter were arrested in Horana for transporting 45 kilograms of heroin and investigations led detectives to a land in 

Midigama

, where the heroin was said to have been hidden before they were transported using a van.

Detectives believe the heroin seized on Wednesday (10) is part of the haul of narcotics removed from the said land in Midigama, after the raid in Horana took place.