Sniffer dog ‘Rusi’ helps police to find hidden ‘ice’

Police sniffer dog ‘Rusi’ led sleuths to 35 grams of ‘ice’ (crystal methamphetamine) hidden inside a flat at the Maligawatte Housing Scheme occupied by a suspect arrested earlier.

Maligawatte police arrested a 32-year-old man with 150 grams of ‘ice’ and on questioning him found that he was occupying a flat on rent at the housing scheme.

The services of ‘Rusi’ was sought from the Slave Island police as a search on the suspect’s flat was conducted. The canine helped the police to find another 35 grams of the narcotic drug and Rs. 100,000 in cash.

Police said the seized drugs have a street value of around rupees one million.

Preliminary police investigations revealed that the suspect had secured the stock of ‘ice’ smuggled from India.

Police said the suspect himself was a hardcore addict who acted as a distributor of the deadly narcotic in the Maligawatte, Keselwatte, Aluthkade and Grandpass areas.

The suspect had been arrested earlier on a charge of selling narcotic pills and a case against him is pending in the High Court.

The search was conducted by a police team led by OIC, Vice Squad, Sub Inspector H. P. P. Pathirana and comprising PCs Senadeera, Jayalath Arachchi, Special Branch PC Ariyaratne and Police Kennel Division PCs Sanjaya and Bandara under the direction of Maligawatte OIC Chief Inspector Udayakumara.