The hotel 'Soul Beach,' situated in Dehiwala, and later demolished which is suspected to have ties to Shiran Basik, an alleged major drug smuggler operating from abroad, was alleged to have been built on government land, it was revealed.
In January of this year, the Coast Guard and Police took action to remove the structures of the hotel after it was identified as an illegal construction. However, recent developments have shed light on the ownership and origins of the establishment.
During construction work at the site, a group of individuals was apprehended on Tuesday for engaging in illegal construction activities. The Mount Lavinia Division Special Investigation Unit disclosed that the tax deed presented by the suspects had been forged.
As a result, 14 suspects were arrested on Tuesday and remanded until May 28 following their appearance in court. Subsequent inspections conducted by surveyors from the Government Survey Department revealed that the land in question is government-owned.
