Seven officers attached to the Presidential Security Division have been transferred and disciplinary inquiries have been insitiated against them for allegedly obtaining 35 bottles of foreign liquor illegally from duty-free shops at the BIA.
The incident occurred while President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was overseas on an official visit to the Maldives. The officers in question had reportedly arrived at the airport on the pretext of providing security for the President.
Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya ordered the immediate transfer of the officers to police divisions in Galle, Matara, and Elpitiya. Investigations are now underway to find out how these officers, who were on special duty, managed to acquire liquor from duty-free shops—where purchases are restricted to passengers arriving from overseas.
The police said the Acting IGP had received a tip-off regarding the conduct of these officers, prompting swift action.Acting IGP Weerasuriya told The Sunday Island that the conduct as a “highly inappropriate precedent” and assured that measures will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
By Hemantha Randunu 