Five suspects who were arrested and remanded for the possession of 196.98 kilos of heroin off the coast of Trincomalee in April 2019 have been released from the case.
The suspects who were arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy while transporting the narcotics in international maritime waters were released by the High Court of Western Province.
Taking up for hearing the case yesterday, the three-judge bench issued its verdict, stating that the charges filed against the accused have not been proven.
The justices further stated that they cannot accept the statement provided by the Chief Inspector of the Police Narcotics Bureau in this case.
Pointing out concerns on the manner in which investigations had been conducted into the case, the justices said it is evident that investigations have not been conducted properly and the statements provided by the Police are contradictory.
The three-judge bench, therefore, released the suspects from the case stating that the charges have not been proven by the complainants. (NewsWire)