The case involving the 22 monks who were arrested by the Police Narcotics Bureau at the airport while trying to bring over 110 kilos of kush and hashish worth 110 million rupees into the country from Thailand was taken up again at the Negombo Magistrate’s Court today. The court ordered the remand of the 22 monks who were detained and questioned there and the monk named Angunakole Amitha who was staying in the country until May 12.
It was stated that an investigation is underway into a monk named Ambagasmulla Punyarathana, who is said to have been directed by the suspect in this case, Angunakole Amithananda Hamuduruwo, from the country, and that the monk is in hiding. The monk was also named as the 4th suspect in these cases.
Investigations are underway to arrest the monk named Belpitiye Dammarakkitha alias Dhamma, who was the mastermind behind the incident by providing hotels for the 22 monks who went to Thailand, and the monk will be named as the 5th suspect in all the cases, the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Rajapaksa, informed the court.
He stated before the court that it was the monk named Dhamma who had prepared the luggage of the 22 monks when they arrived in Sri Lanka on April 25.