The Colombo High Court yesterday (02) sentenced a drug trafficker to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to kill a Police Narcotics Bureau officer during a raid in Nedimala, Dehiwala, 17 years ago.
High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne delivered the verdict, ruling that individuals who commit violent acts against law enforcement officers engaged in combating illegal activities and drug trafficking pose a grave threat to the rule of law and will not be pardoned by the court.
In addition to the prison term, the accused was fined Rs. 10,000.
The incident dates back to January 17, 2008, when the accused, transporting a stock of drugs in a car, ignored a police order to stop and attempted to run over a police sergeant, seriously injuring him. The Attorney General subsequently filed charges including attempted murder and drug trafficking.
State Counsel Kalana Kotelawala, appearing for the Attorney General, urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, stressing that police officers who risk their lives to apprehend drug traffickers should be given full protection under the law.
After a lengthy trial, Judge Jayaratne found the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt, emphasizing that his actions could not be treated lightly, and imposed the sentence accordingly.
