Businessman sentenced to death for trafficking heroin

The Chilaw High Court delivered a capital sentence on Thursday against a Dehiwala-based businessman convicted of possessing and trafficking heroin. High Court proceedings concluded that the prosecution established the defendant's direct involvement in large-scale narcotics distribution beyond reasonable doubt.

The convict was apprehended during a targeted raid carried out by police narcotics officers, who recovered significant quantities of refined heroin concealed inside commercial transport compartments. Forensic chemical analysis confirmed the purity and commercial scale of the contraband.

Delivering the verdict, the presiding judge highlighted the devastating toll of the illicit narcotics trade on local communities and emphasized that statutory provisions prescribe the death penalty for trafficking offences exceeding legal thresholds.

The convict was remanded into the custody of the Department of Prisons under death row protocols, pending any formal appeal that may be filed before the Court of Appeal.