The Illegal Assets Investigation Division has suspended the use of a motor vehicle valued at Rs. 17.5 million belonging to Sampath Manamperi for seven days, pending an ongoing probe into whether the vehicle was purchased with illicit funds.
Manamperi is currently in remand custody. Police said the decision to restrict the vehicle’s use followed preliminary investigations that indicated it had allegedly been purchased using funds obtained through illegal means.
Manamperi surrendered to the Walasmulla Magistrate’s Court on September 17 last year and was subsequently detained under a detention order for questioning. The detention and subsequent investigations are linked to an incident involving the storage of chemical substances used in the production of the synthetic drug ‘Ice’ at premises in Ka’riyamaditta, Thalawa South, Kantoruwatte.
Further investigations are ongoing against Manamperi in connection with alleged offences including the transportation of cannabis, robbery using firearms, and acts of terrorism.
The case represents an active line of work for the Illegal Assets Investigation Division, which has been increasingly used by Sri Lankan authorities to target assets allegedly acquired through narcotics trafficking and organised crime — a legal mechanism that runs parallel to criminal prosecution and targets the financial incentives of drug networks.
