Puttalam Police, after a month long investigation, nabbed a man carrying 198 kilogrammes of heroin, while at the Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary, last morning.
The 58-year old suspect had arrived in a Defender vehicle stayed over at a lodge at Chilaw before travelling to the Anawilundawa Bird Sanctuary for the pickup.
Police investigations reveal heroin had been smuggled by ship from Pakistan into Sri Lankan waters and then has been transferred into a multi-day vessel.
The multi-day vessel has then transferred the haul of heroine to a day-fishing vessel, which has carried it to Muthupanthiya beach to be handed over to the arrested suspect.
Police investigations also revealed the suspect has transported heroin to Colombo from Chilaw in the same manner several times.
The arrest was made on the directions of North Central Senior DIG Ravi Wijegunawardena and Puttalam DIG Champika Siriwardena.