Court orders property seizure of ex-police OIC in cattle smuggling case

The Polonnaruwa Magistrate’s Court yesterday issued an order to confiscate the properties of the former Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Welikanda Police, who is evading arrest despite a warrant being issued in connection with a dairy cow smuggling case.

This court order was issued following a notification by the Anuradhapura Division Crime Investigation Unit that the suspect, a Police Inspector, had reported sick leave and left the area.

On September 23, 2024, 20 dairy cows being transported without a permit were taken into custody and produced before the Polonnaruwa Magistrate’s Court by then-Welikanda Police OIC, Inspector R.M. Rathnayake.

On the same day, the Magistrate ordered the cows to be handed over to a government-owned livestock farm. However, the court later received an anonymous letter alleging that the OIC had returned the cows to the smugglers.

As a result, the Magistrate ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to conduct an investigation and report back to the court. The IGP assigned the task to the Anuradhapura Division Crime Investigation Unit.

Subsequently, two suspects involved in the incident were arrested and produced before the court, but investigators were unable to apprehend the main suspect, the former Welikanda OIC.

Although an arrest warrant was issued by the Polonnaruwa Magistrate on March 11, 2025, the suspect had reported sick leave and left the area, despite currently being assigned to the Pujapitiya Police Station.

During the hearing held yesterday (March 25), the Police Inspector again failed to appear in court. Consequently, the Magistrate ordered action to be taken under Section 60(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Accordingly, the court ordered that all movable and immovable properties belonging to the suspect be confiscated and handed over to the court. The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) was also instructed to freeze all funds in any accounts held by the suspect both within and outside Sri Lanka and submit them to the court.

Furthermore, the Magistrate imposed a travel ban on the suspect and issued an additional order requiring him to appear before the court on or before April 29, 2025.

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