(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – The Police have seeked the assistance of the public to arrest Senior Inspector (SI) Saman Wasantha Kumara of the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB).
SI Kumara is wanted over investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) into the drug links of officers attached to the PNB.
Police Spokesman SSP Jaliya Senratane told the Colombo Gazette that SI Kumara is suspected to be in hiding as they are unable to reach him via telephone.
There is no information that the officer has left overseas as yet, he added.
The Police have requested the public with knowledge of the whereabouts of SI Kumara to contact via hotlines 071 8591767 and 0112 422 176.
The warrant issued on SI Saman Wasantha Kumara comes on the heels of the arrest of 11 officers from the PNB last month.
Initially, four officers attached to the PNB were interdicted in June over their links with drug dealers.
11 more officers from the PNB were later detained by the CID on Court order till 08 July to be interrogated on suspected links to drug lords.
The investigations also resulted in the transfer of the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) S. C. Medawatte who was in charge of the PNB to the Police Welfare Division
The National Police Commission later approved the transfer of Director of the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manjula Senarath as well.
The Commission appointed SSP Sujith Wedamulla as the new Director of the PNB.
