Police are being blamed for the acquittal of the five suspects in the smuggling of 196 kgs of heroin four years ago.
A three-member bench of high court judges ruled on April 06 the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them beyond reasonable doubt.
Judges also expressed surprise over the manner of investigation.
The attorney general filed the case on charges of heroin smuggling, possession and trafficking.
Five men were nabbed by the Navy with the haul in international waters off Trincomalee on April 21, 2019.
The court refused to accept certain evidence, while finding some others contradictory. DIG in charge of the Police Narcotics Bureau Sanjeewa Medawatte led the investigation.
