In response to allegations that Sri Lanka Police purchased substandard breathalyzers for testing drunk drivers, the Police have clarified that no payments have been made for 14,803 breathalyzer boxes that failed quality tests.

According to police officials, the Police Supply Division had solicited tenders for 15,000 breathalyzers, selecting a private company to supply the tubes. The first shipment included 197 boxes, each containing 10 tubes, imported from France. Samples from this batch passed government quality tests and were released to the Traffic Headquarters.

However, the second batch of 14,803 boxes was deemed unsuitable for use after quality testing by government analysts. Following this determination, the Police notified the supplier and sent additional samples for re-evaluation, which again resulted in a recommendation against using the breathalyzers.

The Director of the Police Supply Division said that payment has only been made for the initial shipment of 1,970 tubes, and no payments have been made for the second batch, which has not been counted in inventory or issued for use. The supplier has requested a meeting with government analysts to discuss the matter further.