The chief monk suspected of orchestrating a group of 22 monks who were arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport with a consignment of narcotics has been ordered to be detained and questioned for seven days, until 2 May.
The order was issued today (27) by Subhani Abeysekara, Additional Magistrate of Negombo, when the suspect was produced before court.
The monk, identified as Amitananda of the Sri Punyalanakarama Vihara in Ranmuthugala, Kadawatha, is reported to have been waiting at the airport to receive the narcotics shipment brought from Thailand.
Following the arrest of the 22 monks at the airport with the drugs, the chief suspect fled the scene and had been hiding in the Miriswatta area.
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He was subsequently arrested by the police yesterday (26).
According to medical reports, it has also been revealed that Amitananda had consumed narcotics at the time.
It was further disclosed in court that the suspect had organised the travel of the other monks to Thailand and had also operated the WhatsApp account used to coordinate them.
A total of 112 kilogrammes of narcotics, identified as “kush” and “hash”, with an estimated street value exceeding Rs. 1.1 billion, had been smuggled into the country by the group, concealed in a highly sophisticated manner within their luggage.