A last minute call by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has thwarted an attempt to field a drug kingpin's son as a candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council election, on the UNP ticket. 

It is learnt that a well known UNP politician is behind the attempt to 'smuggle in' the candidate's name to the party nomination list. 

The Prime Minister had given a call at 3 am, last morning, and directed the party authorities to remove the drug kingpin's son from the final nominations list. 

As a result of the Prime Minister's intervention, the nominations list went to the Elections Department without the name of the controversial candidate. 

The UNP's nominations list for the Colombo Municipal Council was handed over yesterday.