Drug smuggling under check

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

The government will go all out to eradicate the drug menace in the country with a view to protect children as envisaged in the Mahinda Chintana under the program Mathata Thitha .

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake last June addressing a media conference said legislation will be introduced to combat the dangerous drug menace soon. A strategy will be drawn up to safeguard children from dangerous drugs that are freely available in the market. He spoke in connection with the 'World Drug Day' which fell on June 26. The theme this year was "Drugs are not Child Play."

To coincide with the event a special court was opened at the Welikade Prison to hear cases related to drug offences.

Meanwhile to mark the occasion anti drug programs were held in 400 towns with the co-operation of Provincial Councils. The Prime Minister referring to a drug named 'Ecstasy' said he had heard of young people patronising night clubs and taking the drug. "What ever drugs they take, it is they who suffer ultimately. The State had to spend enormous amount of money to rehabilitate and treat them when they fall sick." he said.

During the first quarter of 2006 Police and law enforcement agencies had arrested 3482 persons in connection with drug related offences.

Director Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) SSP. K. Sugathadasa said nine nefarious characters dealing in heroin business have been arrested this year. The drugs dealers have been operating since 1993. The drug dealers are from suburban areas of Colombo and Dehiwela. The director said that a number of Sri Lankan drug traffickers wanted by the police had fled to neighbouring SAARC countries.

They operate with the help of drug lords in those countries. According to figures compiled by the PNB 237 Sri Lankans have fled the country during the past few years.

The Police Narcotics Bureau arrested a Sri Lankan this year who had smuggled drugs to the United Kingdom concealed in mattressesway back in 1993. He has returned to Sri Lanka after serving a jail term in the United Kingdom. Director Sugathadasa said two hundred and thirteen Sri Lankan drug traffickers had fled to India while 21 to Maldives.

Two, in Pakistan and another Nepal. Efforts are being made to arrest them with assistance from police agencies in those countries. The suspects are wanted by the PNB and other law enforcement agencies for serious drug related offenses.

Meanwhile drug couriers arrested by agencies in Sri Lanka during the period 1993-2006 are as follows: 89 Pakistanis, 2 Nepalese, 1 Maldivian, 82 Indians. The Indian Narcotics Control Board (NCB) have close links with the PNB. They often exchange valuable information with regard to drug couriers.

It was revealed that large quantities of heroin was smuggled to Sri Lanka by boat through the Palk Straits.

Six months ago heroin weighing 3 kilos and 800 grams valued several hundred thousands of rupees was detected by the Sri Lanka Navy while patrolling the seas off Thodavel. The stuff was handed over to the Mannar police for further investigations.

It was also revealed that some Police and security forces personnel work hand in glove with heroin dealers. The Director of the Police Bureau have informed the police hierarchy to take disciplinary action against these officers. However at present the local drug dealers are facing a crisis situation owing to a shortage of heroin in the country due to ongoing security operations in the North.

Heroin is usually smuggled across the Palk Straits by couriers with the help of fishermen. Attempts to smuggle in large quantities of heroin from North have been thwarted by the naval presence in the northern seas.

Last October four persons from Grandpass, Maligawatte and Dehiwela were arrested for possessing large quantities of heroin. The haul was 1 kilo and 150 grams of heroin with a street value of more than Rs. 4 million. Statistic reveal that there is a reduction of heroin detected this year.

Heroin detected during the first quarter of 2005 was 42 kilos and 30 grams and 24 milligrams. The cannabis 9736 kilos, 876 grams and 46 milligrams and hashish 408 kilos and 438 grams and Madana Modakaya 7 grams and 900 mili gram.

It is estimated around 1200 -2000 kilos of heroin is smuggled across to Sri Lanka annually for local consumption alone. It has been proposed to amend the existing laws relating to synthetic drugs. The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board has also proposed banning imports of Babul betel leaves.

According to police students who get addicted to Babul betle leaves often end up as drug addicts.

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