Drug smugglers in trouble- DIG Nimal Leuke

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

In view of potent drugs such as heroin being smuggled into the country from Wayamba province, a key entry point to the country, police have set up intelligence units in all the five provinces of Wayamba to gather intelligence with regard to drug smuggling activities. It has become a difficult task to keep a tab on drug smuggling activities sans intelligence, the Senior DIG of the Northern Province, Nimal Leuke told the Sunday Observer .

He said intelligence officers will be posted to crime branches of police stations in the Wayamba province to feed intelligence with regard to drug smuggling activities in the Mannar, Kalpitiya, Uddappuwa, Chillaw and in the North Western Province. The officers will keep a tab on drug couriers who smuggle heroin to the country from the Wayamba province.

The biggest haul of heroin detected so far was from Chillaw this year worth several millions of rupees. Kurunegala town has also become a focal point these days as it is the gateway that leads to North, East and the Central province, he said.Meanwhile reports suggest that around 237 Sri Lankans wanted in connection with drug related offences have fled to SAARC countries in the past.

Sri Lanka has also become a transit point for heroin being smuggled to Europe. Meanwhile around 1,200 -2,000 kilos of heroin is smuggled to Sri Lanka annually for local consumption alone.