Absconding Britisher detained

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

The second British suspect who had allegedly involved in smuggling 366.70 grams of hashish concealed inside the magazines was ordered to be detained under Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) till 1 May by a Colombo Court yesterday.

The suspect Josh Kerr Wilton of London managed to escape from legal custody on April 15 but was arrested by PNB and custom officers at the Katunayake International Airport last Thursday (26) when he was trying to leave the country.

PNB detectives informed Court that three suspicious parcels had been received at the Colombo Central Mail Exchange by post from India addressed to Angela Seneviratne in Colombo 3. The postal authorities had informed the addressee to come to the Mail Exchange to collect the parcels.

At the collection point, the parcels were opened in the presence of custom officials and two Britishers who had come to collect them.

The PNB informed Colombo Fort Magistrate that the first suspect Brutton Saul Felix had accompanied the second suspect Josh Kerr Wilton to the Colombo Central Mail Exchange to collect three parcels. When the parcels, alleged to have contained hashish were opened in the presence of custom officials, the two foreigners had tried to run away with the three parcels, but one of them (Brutton Saul Felix) was arrested. The suspect Brutton Saul Felix was ordered to be remanded till 8 May at previous magisterial inquiry.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne ordered two mobile phone service providers to provide details pertaining to 17 sim cards for further investigations.