Demolition of hotel built with drug money on Dehiwala beach continues – police

Police headquarters yesterday (2) said that there was no basis for claims that the demolition of a hotel in Dehiwala had been stopped. The hotel has been built with drug money, according to the police.

A senior police officer said so when The Island queried whether the demolition operation had been stopped due to political interference.

Police on Monday began pulling down the hotel, in Dehiwala, allegedly belonging to a fugitive drug dealer. It was identified as an illegal construction on the beach.

Police said that the illegal construction belonged to a wanted criminal currently living abroad.

The hotel has been identified as an illegal construction and the coastal conservation officials called for its demolition.

Police have taken into custody three persons including one identified himself as a director of the property for obstructing their duties, behaving aggressively when police and officials from the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management went there to demolish it.

The officer said that the suspected drug dealer is currently in Dubai and still operated as one of the main heroin suppliers in Sri Lanka.