Yatiyantota Police on Saturday arrested a man who owned a trawler used to transport heroin worth Rs. 277 million, which had been apprehended at mid sea two days earlier.
Yatiyantota Police received a tip-off that the suspect, Dinayadura Dilip Samantha de Silva of Moragalla, Beruwala, would visit a bank in Yatiyantota town to withdraw cash.
A special police rushed to the spot and police identified the suspect and attempted to arrest him. However, he fled and jumped into the nearby Kelani River.
Some of the policemen also jumped into the river in a bid to arrest him, while messages were sent out to police stations in the vicinity for assistance.
When the suspect reached the bank of the river, police arrested him. He was in possession of Rs. 15 lakhs at the time of arrest.
The suspect is the brother of the first suspect Dinayadura Dilip Susantha de Silva who was arrested by the Police Narcotics Unit when the haul of heroin (231kg) was seized at mid sea last Thursday.
The two suspects are to be produced before court and detention orders will be sought, police said.
Investigations are being conducted by officers of the Police Narcotics Unit on the instructions of DIG Sanjeewa Medawatte.
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