Police demolish beach hotel at Dehiwala belonging to fugitive drug dealer

By Norman Palihawadane and Hemantha Randunu

Police yesterday demolished a hotel, in Dehiwela, allegedly belonging to an absconding 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 had been identified as an illegal construction and the police and other government authorities had called for its demolition.

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

A senior police officer said that the hotel continued to function and they have information of its management giving bribes to some state officials not to obstruct their functioning.

The officer said that the suspected drug dealer is currently in Dubai and still operates as one of the main heroin suppliers to the country.