Police raided a luxurious three-storey house in the Nalluruwa area of Panadura last evening (25), which had allegedly been rented by a large-scale drug trafficker known as “DJ Chathu” and was reportedly used for packaging drugs, distributing them, and printing various logos for drug packets.
During the operation, police recovered five small packets prepared as samples for the wholesale distribution of heroin, a quantity of printed paper used for packaging drugs, specialized paper intended for printing, and a paper-cutting machine.
In addition, memory cards from the CCTV camera systems installed at the house, three mobile phones, and a quantity of gold-coloured jewellery were taken into police custody.
The Panadura Division Crime Investigation Bureau had received a confidential tip-off that, although the house had been rented, it remained constantly closed, raising suspicion.
Acting on the information, the Officer-in-Charge of the Bureau, Chief Inspector Rohan Vishwanath, deployed a team of officers to inspect the premises.
Investigations revealed that “DJ Chathu”, identified as a key accomplice in the drug network allegedly operated from abroad by a person named Randika, who is said to manage the drug-trafficking operations of overseas-based large-scale drug trafficker and organised criminal “Kudu Salindu”, had rented the house with his extramarital partner for a monthly rent of Rs. 70,000.
The relevant facts were reported to the Panadura Magistrate’s Court, and a search warrant was obtained before the raid was conducted.
During the search, officers observed that one of the rooms in the house had been equipped with large screens and advanced communication equipment allegedly used to maintain direct contact with individuals abroad.
Investigating officers also discovered that CCTV cameras had been installed at multiple locations from the ground floor to the upper floor, covering both the interior and exterior of the three-storey house. The cameras had reportedly been configured for remote monitoring via mobile phones.
Upon examination, the gold-coloured jewellery seized from the premises was found not to be genuine gold. The items were subsequently handed over to the suspect’s mother.
However, the suspects had reportedly fled the area, and a special police team has been deployed to apprehend them.
The Panadura Division Crime Investigation Bureau is conducting further investigations.
