Three officials attached to the Chankanai excise office have been arrested by the Northern Province Crime Division for allegedly attempting to extort Rs. 2 million by impersonating narcotics bureau officers.
According to Northern Province Crime Division OIC S. Sanjeewa, the arrests were made yesterday (29) evening during a raid carried out based on intelligence information.
Police said the three excise officers had earlier detained a man on a beach in Madagal along with illicit liquor and falsely claimed to be officers of the Narcotics Bureau. The suspect was then taken to the Chankanai excise office, where the officials reportedly used his mobile phone to call his sister and demanded Rs. 2 million for his release.
The woman subsequently alerted the Northern Province Crime Division, leading to the arrest of the three suspects during a sting operation.
The arrested suspects are a 48-year-old excise chief inspector and two excise inspectors aged 36 and 32. They are to be produced before court.