The owner of a private tuition centre in Horana has been arrested for allegedly possessing crystal methamphetamine, known locally as “Ice”, police said.
The suspect, a 44-year-old resident of the Narthanagala area in Horana, was taken into custody during a raid at his home. Officers recovered 15 grams and 250 milligrams of crystal methamphetamine, along with a mobile phone, a SIM card believed to have been used for drug trafficking, and an electronic weighing scale.
Investigators said the man attempted to flee when police arrived at the residence but was detained after a short pursuit.
Preliminary inquiries indicate the suspect is the son of a well-known businessman in the Horana area, and police said he has previously faced several drug-related charges.
Officers are now examining whether he had links to organised drug trafficking networks and whether he ran a wider distribution operation. Police said they are also investigating whether narcotics were supplied to students attending his tuition classes — a line of inquiry that has given the case particular weight given the centre’s role in the local education system.
The arrest comes as police continue to link a rising number of violent incidents across the country to the narcotics trade. Officers have said in recent days that drugs, rather than cash, are increasingly being used as payment in contract killings, and that rival trafficking networks are driving much of the current wave of shootings.
Crystal methamphetamine has become a growing enforcement priority in Sri Lanka, with seizures reported regularly at ports, airports and in residential raids. Possession of the quantity recovered in Horana carries serious penalties under Sri Lanka’s narcotics laws.
