A stock of cocaine, believed to be weighing around 160 kilograms, has been discovered inside a shipping container on a truck transporting sugar to the Sathosa warehouse in Ratmalana.

Police said that 10 parcels of cocaine, each weighing around 16kg, were found inside the container by officer of the Mount Lavinia Police Station at the warehouse located in the Ratmalana economic center. 

The container truck and the stock of drugs are to be handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for onward action.  

UPDATE: The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that a cocaine haul of 150 kg was detected by employees of Lanka Sathosa in a container addressed to CWE (Sathosa) on this afternoon.

The detection was reportedly made at the warehouse of CWE (Sathosa) Rathmalana Economic Centre while offloading container contents.

“A tender bid for sugar supplies, was called on July 18 by CWE (Sathosa) and a private sector sugar supplier called Ranjitha Traders was selected on the same day due to their fulfilment of specified tender criteria.” 

“The qualified Ranjitha Traders thereafter has despatched this sugar container to CWE warehouse at Ratmalana Economic Centre,” a statement said. 

The ministry said that the country of origin of the container is Brazil and that upon arrival of the container to Colombo Port, the container was taken to Orugodawatta Container Terminal Yard was inspected and re-sealed.

Lanka Sathosa employees received the container fully sealed, it said. 

“They opened the container and began unloading contents from the container (placed on the private owned container transport vehicle) and loading the cargo to CWE goods-lorry.” 

“Moments later Lanka Sathosa employees who were transferring cargo from container to CWE lorry detected the unusual parcel inside the container, stopped their work and immediately informed Mt Lavinia Police of the suspicious cargo.”