* Focus on Angunakolapelessa and Boossa
* 82 mobile phones and 55 SIM cards confiscated
By Maheesha Mudugamuwa
The Police Special Task Force (STF) is conducting raids in all prisons countrywide, with special focus on the Boossa and Angunakolapelessa Prisons, where notorious drug kingpins and underworld criminals have been imprisoned, in a bid to combat the drug mafia and other organised crimes carried out by some noteworthy underworld criminals serving prison sentences, The Morning learnt.
Police Media Spokesman SP Jaliya Senaratne said the STF raids, which had been conducted from time to time, have now been expedited following the instructions of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa a few weeks ago to tackle the drug mafia and organised crime operated by underworld criminals in prisons.
“The operations in Boossa and Angunakolapelessa are being conducted by the STF and operations would be conducted in other prisons as well where notorious criminals have been based,” he told The Morning.
During special search operations conducted in Negombo, Colombo, Bogambara, and Boossa prisons on Tuesday (9), 82 mobile phones, 55 SIM cards, batteries, and chargers have been found and taken into custody by prison officials.
The Defence Ministry website, quoting Acting Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya, noted that officers of the Negombo Prison Intelligence Unit found 61 mobile phones, 51 SIM cards, 71 batteries, 30 charges, 16 g of heroin, and 2 g of cannabis from the cells of the Negombo Prison.
When contacted by The Morning, Acting Commissioner General of Prisons Upuldeniya said that the STF had already been put in place in the Boossa and Angunakolapelessa Prisons as all notorious criminals were imprisoned in those two.
“Raids are being continuously conducted in those two and for Bososa, it commenced a few months ago,” he added.
Combating drug mafia and organised crime: STF crackdown continues
11 Jun 2020
Combating drug mafia and organised crime: STF crackdown continues
11 Jun 2020