A stock of popular party drug, Crystal meth, also known as Ice has been seized by the Special Operations Unit of the Department of Excise for the first time in Sri Lanka.
The officers had apprehended two 40-year-old female suspects in Elakanda, Wattala along with 250 grams of the drug in the early hours of yesterday. According to Department sources, the drugs seized are said to be worth over Rupees two million.
Speaking to the Sunday Observer, G.N Hemantha, Chief of the Special Operations Unit of the Department of Excise said the team of officers had using a decoy lured the two women to the site in order to make the arrests. “The duo had been smuggling in these drugs for around 3 years we believe” he said adding that it has been discovered the drugs has been brought in from Chennai, India.
Hemantha says it has been found out that the two arrested women along with another Sri Lankan man residing in India are part of the drug racket. “They have been travelling to and from India regularly” he said adding that the women were in the practice of purchasing drugs after the sale of gold they had taken along while travelling to India.
According to Hemantha the drug mules had used condoms to contain the drugs and conceal them in body cavities. “Scanners at the airport cannot detect when drugs are concealed in such a manner,” he said.
Crystal meth is one of the most popular party drugs in the west. It is considered to be a highly addictive drug that affects the central nervous system. Long term use of the drug can cause permanent damage to blood vessels of heart and brain, high blood pressure leading to heart attacks, strokes and even death.