• Allege harassment over failure to produce drug-free medical reports
• One driver claims he was slapped and detained for over 10 hours
• Road Safety Council says police can conduct random tests on reasonable suspicion

Three-wheeler drivers in Wellampitiya have accused the police of harassing and detaining them over their failure to produce medical reports confirming that they do not use drugs, including opiates, marijuana, barbiturates and methamphetamine, with one driver alleging that he was slapped and held at a police station for more than 10 hours.

The drivers alleged that police frequently stop three-wheelers based on suspicions arising from their appearance, take them to police stations for drug testing and delay the process, affecting their daily earnings.

They also claimed that two such incidents had recently been reported in the Wellampitiya area, during which two drivers were taken to the police station after failing to produce the reports and verbally abused. One driver alleged that he was slapped when he attempted to establish his innocence.

A three-wheeler driver in Wellampitiya, who spoke to 

 on condition of anonymity, said he had been taken into police custody after failing to produce the medical report and had remained at the police station for more than 10 hours until he was cleared.

"I was stopped in the middle of a hire, and my passenger was asked to take another vehicle. I was taken to the police station and had to remain there until 5 p.m., as they were in no hurry to send my urine sample to the laboratory. We are daily wage earners, and these practices affect us. When I told the officer that I had not done anything wrong, he slapped me, saying that they were the police and not me," he said.

Another three-wheeler driver in the area, K A I Chamika, said drivers were repeatedly subjected to such treatment.

"It is only three-wheeler drivers and ride-hailing motorcycle riders who are abused like this. Buses cannot be stopped easily on the road since they are heavy vehicles. The police frequently stop us. Even when we are on hire, if they become suspicious based on our appearance, they send our passengers away and take us to the police station. This practice affects our livelihood," he said.

The medical report in question is intended to establish whether a driver uses any of four selected drugs. Random testing is being conducted across the country as a measure to monitor drug use and trafficking.

However, Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety Manjula Kularathne said medical tests were conducted randomly among three-wheeler drivers. He said the police were permitted to take individuals to a police station if there was reasonable suspicion and keep them there until the medical test results were available.

He clarified, however, that drivers were not required to carry the medical report with them at all times.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, the Wellampitiya Police requested that the newspaper meet the Officer-in-Charge (OIC), Dammika Kariyawasam, in person.