A young couple has been arrested for the illegal possession of a large stock of Tramadol pills at Chettikulam, Vavuniya.
The suspects, aged 18 and 24, were arrested with around 70,000 pills of the opioid pain medication estimated to be worth over Rs 70 million, police said.
The suspects were arrested this morning while transporting the pills by car in Chettikulam, following an operation carried out based on information received. The Tramadol pills are believed to have been smuggled into the country from India.
The suspects had reportedly purchased the pills from racketeers in Mannar and were transporting the goods for distribution in Colombo and other areas. They had intended to sell the Tramadol at a price of Rs 1,000 per tablet.
The arrested suspects are to be produced before the Vavuniya Magistrate’s Court.
