Technology for fighting drug menace

Drug use, or rather abuse, has become a major problem. There is a large number of drug addicts in the country. While the authorities have been highly successful in tackling the spread of legal drugs such as tobacco, there is a lot more to be done to tackle the abuse of banned substances - such as cannabis and heroin.

Now that the conflict in the North and the East is over, the Government has declared an 'economic and development war' to take the country to the next stage in the ladder of progress. The Government is fighting another war, without much fanfare, in another sphere: the war against drugs. This war has to be intensified to save the future generations from the scourge of drugs.

No war can be fought without modern technology. It is not just about weapons - intelligence gathering through new technology is essential for thwarting the enemy's plans. Half the battle can often be won if proper intelligence is utilised. For example, pictures of enemy camps and movements taken by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles helped the Security Forces immensely in their humanitarian operation.

It is no secret that many drug smugglers and growers (cannabis in the case of Sri Lanka) are part of a sophisticated network with high tech gadgetry at their disposal. This ring can only be broken if the State and the authorities also use sophisticated technology to track down their movements and cultivations.

Fortunately, our authorities seem to be moving in this direction. It was reported last week that the Special Task Force (STF) of the Police has been able to raid more than 200 acres and destroy 566,000 ganja plants using satellite maps and the Global Positioning System (GPS) since March last year - yes, the very same technology that could say, guide you from Colombo to Kataragama using a network of satellites.

Following such intelligence, raids have been conducted in thick jungles at the forest reserves in Hambegamuwa, Sevenagala, Udawalawa, Lunugamwehera, Suwandanaru, Hawengala and Thanamalwila in the Uva-Southern region.

It had been a difficult task to identify areas where large ganja plantations existed as they were in thick jungles. Thanks to satellite mapping and GPS, these locations were accurately pinpointed. Another advantage was that the STF did not have to manually comb the jungle with hundreds of personnel. Since they knew the exact locations via GPS, just 50 men could participate in a raid. "Modern technology was beneficial as it enabled the personnel to approach the target at a minimum time and also by using the shortest route," an STF spokesman said.

We hope that this endeavour would continue, using even more advanced technology including UAVs. Google Earth, commercially available satellite data and other advanced methods could also be used in the battle against cannabis growers. Perhaps the same methods could be used to nab illicit tree fellers in our jungles, kasippu distilleries and vessels that poach in our territorial waters. These technologies no longer cost the earth and are a valuable investment.

The authorities should step up efforts to prevent the entry of drugs and illegal substances through the country's key entry points (seaports and the international airport). The latest technologies available for the detection of narcotics must be procured in this regard without necessarily abandoning traditional methods such as sniffer dogs and trained human observers.

Surveillance should also be enhanced at well-known smuggling points on the coast - the newly established Coast Guard has a major role to play here. Terror groups are known to use drug smuggling as a fundraising avenue and this is a threat that all countries should be aware of. These groups themselves are equipped with the latest communications and GPS equipment and advanced technology is required to intercept their communications and travel paths.

Of course, advanced technology cannot always be relied upon. The best form of intelligence is often the man on the ground or an insider giving information on the activities of narcotics growers or dealers. The Police Narcotics Bureau must be given all support to improve its intelligence gathering process, both human and technological. Similar training and facilities should also be provided to Sri Lanka Customs personnel manning entry/departure points around the island.

Nevertheless, the drugs menace cannot be tackled by a single country because it is a worldwide phenomenon. The drug trade is truly international in scope. Drugs manufactured in one country end up in another through a labyrinthine, clandestine network which is often difficult to detect. Regional and international cooperation is thus essential to defeat the worldwide drugs mafia.

Countries which already use advanced technology to deal with drug lords must engage in a technology transfer to empower other countries too. They should share intelligence and information on narcotics manufacture and transport. Sri Lanka has always spearheaded such moves.

Prevention, they say, is better than cure. And younger children have to be targeted first. Parents and teachers have a major role to play in educating schoolchildren on the evils of drugs. It would be ideal if the school curricula includes a formal session on banned substances and drugs, to give children an idea about the dangers associated with their abuse.

A closer relationship between children and parents at home and a healthy dialogue about their school activities can also go a long way towards keeping children off drugs. Education can be a major tool in veering the younger generation away from alcohol and substance abuse.Both the State and private media (print and electronic) must be involved in a more a pro-active anti-alcohol and anti-drugs campaign targeted especially at the younger generation, in collaboration with narcotics control institutions.

The country needs a well-thought out strategy to beat the drugs menace. The Mathata Thitha is a good start and the authorities should ponder on the additional steps that must be taken to stamp out this scourge. Technology can help us get there and the authorities should lose no time in enhancing the technological capacity of law enforcement authorities to fight the drug cartels.