Four officers attached to the Monaragala Divisional Crime Investigation Unit have been arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 500,000 to avoid taking legal action against a cannabis cultivation near the Thanamalwila Nikawawa Demodara tank, the Police said.
The arrested officers include a 37‑year‑old police sergeant from Buttala, a 45‑year‑old police sergeant from Dehiattakandiya, a 39‑year‑old police constable driver from Bibile, and a 36‑year‑old police constable from Bibile.
According to Police, the Officer‑in‑Charge of Thanamalwila Police had received information about a cannabis field in the area. On August 11, a team surrounded the site and arrested a suspect along with a cannabis plot. Subsequent searches uncovered three more cultivations, while another plot had been cut and destroyed.
During questioning, the suspect revealed that on August 10, six officers from the Monaragala Crime Investigation Unit had visited the site, taken Rs. 500,000 from him, burned only one cannabis plot, and removed the remaining stock.
Investigations later led to the arrest of another individual named Kalu, a resident of Nikawawa, who was found with cannabis. He told Police that the same group of officers had instructed him to dry the cannabis stock.
Both suspects were produced before the Wellawaya Magistrate’s Court, which issued detention orders for further questioning. Based on information obtained during interrogations, Thanamalwila Police arrested the four officers.
The suspects are scheduled to be produced before the Wellawaya Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)