Sri Lanka's police said Tuesday they were investigating whether a man who confessed to smuggling over 1,000 kilos of heroin to the island over three years had political protection. Samantha Kumara Vithanage was arrested in Pakistan earlier this month and taken back to Sri Lanka, police spokesman Ajith Kumara said.
He told detectives he had imported about 1,000 kilos (2,200 pounds) of heroin worth a total of $75 million since 2012 to Colombo, a key hub for the narcotic originating in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kumara said investigations showed he had links to lawmaker Duminda Silva, who was attached to the defence ministry under former president Mahinda Rajapakse. "We have information that MP Duminda Silva received large sums of money from Samantha Kumara Vithanage, alias Wele Sudha," Rohana told reporters.