PNB cops further remanded without being produced in court

Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris and ASP Meril Ranjan Lamahewa arriving at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s court, where the case against 13 Police Narcotics Bureau officers arrested by the CID on charges of trafficking drugs was taken up for hearing. Pic by Nimal Dayaratne

By AJA Abeynayake

Thirteen officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) arrested for their alleged links to drug dealers were further remanded until August 31 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne yesterday.

However, the suspects were not produced before the court yesterday when the case was taken up.

The court was informed that the suspects were held at the Agunukolapelessa prison and would not be produced before the court due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris, who appeared on behalf of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), submitted a report on the progress of the investigations carried out on the matter.

Subsequently, the hearing was postponed to August 31 and the Magistrate ordered a progress report on the investigations.