The Sri Lanka Police have issued an official clarification regarding the seizure of a major consignment of illicit drugs at the Colombo Port on August 31, 2026, while confirming that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been ordered to investigate alleged negligence by police officers involved in handling the initial intelligence.
According to a police statement, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police (SDIG) Ranmal Kodituwakku received intelligence on August 14 that two containers believed to contain illegal drugs had been imported into Sri Lanka and were located at the Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT).
The information was forwarded to the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) on the same day. However, the police said an internal inquiry was subsequently initiated after it was observed that appropriate action had not been taken on the intelligence.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) ordered the Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to investigate the matter.
An interim report by the SIU found that officers responsible for acting on the initial intelligence had allegedly failed to carry out their duties appropriately. The SIU subsequently recommended that a comprehensive criminal investigation be conducted in addition to the departmental inquiry already underway.
The investigation also found that Sub-Inspector Ekanayake of the Central Crimes Investigation Bureau (CCIB) received separate information about the same consignment from a personal informant on August 22, eight days after the initial intelligence received by SDIG Kodituwakku.
According to the police, SI Ekanayake acted immediately on the information. A team led by the Director of the CCIB travelled to the Colombo Port on August 31 and began scanning the containers in coordination with Customs officials.
PNB officers arrived at the port after the scanning operation was already underway, the police said. The statement therefore indicated that the CCIB-led operation played the primary role in detecting the suspected drugs.
In response to the findings, the IGP has directed the CID to conduct a formal criminal investigation.
The CID probe will examine whether the delays, alleged negligence and other omissions by police officers or officials of relevant agencies were intended to benefit an outside party. It will also determine whether there are sufficient grounds for criminal charges to be filed against any officers found responsible.
