Two luxury buses worth nearly Rs. 70 million, allegedly purchased using proceeds from drug trafficking, have been frozen under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Police Media Division said on Thursday.
The Illegal Assets Investigation Division (IAID) carried out the operation following inquiries into assets allegedly acquired by a suspect involved in organised crime and large-scale narcotics trafficking. The main suspect, who had been hiding overseas before being arrested, is currently in remand custody.
Investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly purchased several properties through close associates using illegally obtained funds, constituting offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The current owner of one of the buses, a 41-year-old resident of Embilipitiya, was arrested on May 7 for allegedly aiding and abetting money laundering. Further investigations are continuing, the IAID said.
The seizure adds another asset-freezing action to the wider Ratama Ekata anti-narcotics drive, under which authorities have arrested 168,460 suspects since October 30, 2025 and seized more than 1,936 kg of heroin and 1,991 kg of crystal methamphetamine. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake this week directed officials to expedite the destruction of seized stocks and to bring forward legal reforms — including a dedicated narcotics court — to speed prosecution of trafficking offences.
Source: Newswire.
