The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has launched an investigation to arrest several senior officials of leading banks who are alleged to have facilitated financial transactions involving large-scale drug traffickers through the banking system.

The investigation was initiated based on information revealed during extensive questioning of several large-scale drug traffickers who were arrested while hiding overseas and subsequently brought back to Sri Lanka.Meanwhile, it is reported that several bank chiefs against whom allegations have been levelled in the investigation are expected to be arrested shortly.

“Investigating officers have extensively questioned several large-scale drug traffickers who were arrested on Red Notices through Interpol regarding how they conducted their financial transactions.It has been revealed that senior officials of certain banks had provided the necessary facilities for these traffickers to conduct financial transactions through those banks.Normally, when a person attempts to transfer a large sum of money to an account through a bank, they are required to provide information explaining the purpose of the transaction. However, the investigation has revealed that the relevant drug traffickers had transferred tens of millions of rupees through certain banks.“Based on these findings, an investigation has been launched into the bank chiefs who are alleged to have provided the facilities necessary for drug traffickers to conduct transactions through the banking system,” a senior CID investigating officer told Aruna at the weekend.