At least 50 officials — 45 police personnel and five prison guards — were injured on Sunday in an attack by inmates of the high security Welikada prison here.
A group of 500 police personnel were targeted when they raided the jail premises in search of drugs. According to police spokesperson Prashantha Jayakody, the policemen were outnumbered inside the jail with more than 4,000 inmates.
The police spokesperson said the raid was part of a nation-wide anti-drug drive.
This is the jail where the former Army Chief and opposition consensus candidate in the January Presidential election, Sarath Fonseka is lodged. Mr. Fonseka is serving a 30-month prison sentence after a military tribunal held him guilty of corruption.
Cases filed
Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya told a news conference that in two police divisions of the Western Province alone 62 kg of heroin and 7,448.7 kg of ganja were confiscated. Police have arrested 3,135 persons suspected of involvement in the heroin trade, 7,305 suspected in narcotics and 1,199 suspected of other offences.
He said 3,119 cases had already been filed on heroin trade and 7,290 cases of narcotics offences from October 13 to November 5. 425 police stations have been instructed to carry out simultaneous raids under the supervision of the Headquarters Inspector and Officers-in-charge of the police stations.
