Colombo High Court Judge Namal Balalle handed down a grave verdict, imposing the death penalty on five fishermen.
Their conviction stemmed from charges related to the possession, smuggling, and complicity in trafficking a staggering 252 kilograms and 3.41 grams of heroin.
In delivering the verdict, Judge Balalle emphasized that the prosecution had effectively substantiated its case against the defendants beyond any reasonable doubt. This formidable display of evidence left him with no choice but to impose the most severe punishment within the legal arsenal.
State Counsel Osmin Azwer, representing the Attorney General’s office, informed the court that the investigations had unequivocally established that the substantial quantity of heroin confiscated from the possession of the five accused was not intended for personal consumption but for the explicit purpose of trafficking. He underscored the immense harm such actions could inflict on society as a whole, and in light of this, he urged the court to exercise its authority by imposing the death sentence.
Azwer further highlighted that the prime target of the accused had been schoolchildren, a chilling revelation that underscored the gravity of their actions and reinforced the call for an unyielding stance in sentencing.
In response, the defence counsel pleaded with the court to consider more lenient penalties for their clients, emphasizing the profound impact that severe sentences would have on the defendants’ families and, most notably, their children.
From the confines of the dock, the accused maintained their innocence, vehemently asserting their lack of knowledge regarding the charges leveled against them.
The case dates back five years when the Sri Lankan Navy, acting on a tip-off, intercepted a fishing trawler navigating approximately 115 kilometers off the coast of Galle in the Southern Province. Following the interception, a significant cache of heroin was seized, leading to the subsequent arrest of the five individuals now facing the death penalty.