Owner of boat seized with heroine off Galle goes missing

The owner of the boat seized by Sri Lanka Navy along with 130 parcels of heroin has fled the area, the police said.

A multi-day fishing trawler named “Indunil 6,” was apprehended together with the drug stock 400 nautical miles off the southern coast in a joint operation carried out by the Navy and Police Anti-Narcotics Bureau.

The street value of the seized drugs is estimated to be over Rs. 1300 million.

During the initial inspection, security forces have not find anything suspicious. However, further investigation had revealed several areas of the boat were suspiciously made with fiber. 

Later on the night of June 14, the vessel was brought to Galle port, where a detailed scan was conducted.

The scan uncovered a stock of suspicious parcels in a compartment sealed with fiber in the front section of the boat, the navy said.

The suspects had later confessed that a fiber boat builder, who was with them, had hidden the parcels by integrating them into the boat’s structure and sealing them with fiber.

The suspects, who are the residents of Gandara and Devundara, have stated that they embarked on the trip from Devundara on May 15. 

The journey was planned by the boat’s skipper and coordinated by an individual infamously known as “Aiya,” who communicated with them via a satellite phone. 

The suspects revealed that they had received initial payments between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 40,000 for their involvement in this activity, according to police.