Seven-Day Detention Orders Issued in Rs. 8 Billion ICE Detection

COLOMBO (News 1st): Police have begun questioning five suspects under seven-day detention orders in connection with the discovery of a massive consignment of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as "Ice", inside a container at the Port of Colombo.

According to Police, all five suspects are currently being held in the custody of the Police Narcotics Bureau as investigations continue into what authorities believe to be a major international drug trafficking operation.

Among those arrested are three Pakistani nationals, while the remaining two suspects are Sri Lankan citizens.

The suspects are aged 44, 33, 36, 38 and 51 years.

Investigators have confirmed that the narcotics recovered from the container weighed 471 kilograms and 200 grams.

Police estimate the street value of the seized drugs to be more than Rs. 8000 million (approximately $24.37 million USD), making it one of the most significant "Ice" detections reported in Sri Lanka in recent times.

According to investigators, the container arrived in Sri Lanka in June from Pakistan, declared as a consignment of towels under a re-export arrangement.

Further inquiries have revealed that the shipment had allegedly been intended for onward transportation to Cameroon.