Sumanawathie Perera v. Attorney General – sllr 1998 volume 2 page 020

In the case of Sumanawathie Perera (Appellant) v. Attorney-General, the court addressed the issue of whether the accused-appellant possessed the prohibited substance (heroin) or merely had custody of it, specifically examining if the requisite knowledge or intent regarding the concealed heroin was established. The accused-appellant was charged with trafficking, importation, and possession of heroin, based on the discovery of heroin concealed inside a ceiling fan in baggage seized at the Katunayake airport. The appellant maintained that her involvement amounted only to custody, with no knowledge of the concealed heroin, and that arrangements for the imported goods were made by another party. Applying the legal principles from Warner v. Metropolitan Police Commissioner and related precedents