A 41-year-old resident of the Peliyagoda area has been arrested in Pahala Biyanwila, Kadawatha with one kilogram and 568 grams of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as “ice”, police said on Tuesday.
The arrest was made during a raid conducted by officers of the Western Province Northern Crimes Division. Along with the drug consignment, police took into custody two mobile phones, three bank cards and a car that were in the suspect’s possession.
NewsFirst, citing police, said the seizure ranks among the larger ice busts recorded in the Western Province this year. Crystal methamphetamine has become an increasingly common target of police interdictions, with the Department of Police reporting 1,975 kilograms of ice and 1,400 kilograms of heroin seized under the Yukthiya operation through early 2026.
The suspect is expected to be produced before court following further questioning. Police did not disclose the estimated street value of the haul or whether the trafficking network behind the consignment has been identified.
The arrest adds to a sustained run of high-volume drug interdictions, including 22 monks held at BIA with Rs. 1.1 billion in narcotics and a wave of related rehabilitation policy moves under the Rata Ekata anti-narcotics framework.
