STF raids on ganja cultivations, a resounding success

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

The three-day operation launched by the Special Task Force (STF) and the Walana Vice Squad in the state forest reserves of Udawalawe was successfully completed with the uprooting and destruction of several ganja (Cannabis Sativa) plants in the thick jungle last week.

Around 300 Special Task Force (STF) Commandos and 30 police officers from the Walana Vice Squad were sent to the Udawalawe forest reserve last week on the instructions of IGP N.K. Illangakoon to destroy vast swathes of land where ganja plants had been cultivated and to arrest the suspects, a senior police officer told the Sunday Observer.

He said the operation has been extended to enable STF officers to penerate deep into the jungle terrain of Udawalawe that extends up to Hambegamuwa where over 50-60 acres of the reserve had been cultivated with ganja. “Our officers are still combing the jungle and have destroyed several acres of land where six-foot ganja plants had been found.

Although the suspects fled from the jungle with several kilos of dried ganja they had left a mobile phone in the jungle. We can gather valuable information about the suspects involved in the ganja racket,” STF sources said.

The STF operation will continue for another week until several ganja plantations are destroyed. It is learnt that reconnaissance aircraft are being deployed to locate ganja plantations in the Udawalawe reserve.” Following a tip-off, the STF officers detected a police Sergeant from Avissawella transporting over eight kilos of dried ganja in a luxury vehicle at Ruwanwella last week.

On being questioned the policeman had admitted that he had transported the ganja from Udawalawe.

The police Seargent who went missing from the Avissawella police station for several days was to be issued a vacation of post order as he had not informed the police station concerned.

“He may have transported ganja from Udawalawe for several days,” the police said.

The operation is being directed by DIG R.W.M.C. Ranawana.