Investigations by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) have identified three Buddhist monks as the alleged organisers of Sri Lanka’s largest-ever airport drug seizure, bringing the total number of monks now held in the case to 25, The Island reported on Monday.
Police said the three additional monks were arrested after questioning the 22 bhikkhus detained at Bandaranaike International Airport on Sunday morning with 101 kilograms of Kush and 10 kilograms of hashish — a consignment with a street value of more than Rs. 660 million.
According to investigators, the three organisers had recruited young monks from rural temples and arranged the trip on the pretext of a religious visit to Thailand, while secretly facilitating drug trafficking. The group flew to Bangkok on April 22 and spent three days in the Thai capital before preparing to return to Sri Lanka.
Police said checks on the suspects’ mobile phones revealed that some of the monks had disrobed during the Bangkok stay and engaged in leisure activities, including interacting with women. Each monk was given a parcel by the organisers, who claimed the contents were sweets, chocolates, soap, shampoo and other supplies for temples in remote areas. The bhikkhus were instructed not to open the parcels.
The PNB said it had received intelligence on the operation in advance, prompting a special inspection at the airport. Investigators said one monk alone was carrying drug parcels weighing about five kilograms each.
The three alleged organisers had travelled to Thailand on multiple previous occasions, police said. The case is the first time a group of monks has been arrested at the airport with a drug consignment, and follow-on charges are expected as questioning continues. The 22 monks initially detained have been remanded until May 2 under a court-issued seven-day detention order.
The Mahanayaka Theras of the three main Buddhist sects have urged security forces to act decisively against networks targeting young monks.
Source: The Island.
