The Sri Lanka Navy seized a large consignment of illegal drugs with a street value of over Rs. 15.86 billion last year. It mounted multiple successful narcotic raids in the island’s waters and on the high seas.
The Navy has stepped up operations not only in the coastal waters around the island but also in international waters in collaboration with other agencies to thwart all forms of illegal activities including the smuggling of drugs. As a result, the Navy seized this stock of narcotics last year.
In anti-drug operations carried out on 74 instances, in the island waters and in exhausting operations on the high seas, the Navy seized over 1,268 kg of heroin and took into custody 119 foreign and 22 local suspects.
Similarly, in 151 instances the Navy nabbed 186 local and seven foreign suspects with over 7,095 kgs of Kerala cannabis last year.
Over 95 suspects were held with over 158 kg of crystal methamphetamine (Ice) in 73 operations conducted by the Navy.
The Navy also took into custody 27 suspects with over 69 kg of local cannabis in 16 operations and nine more local suspects with over 88 kg of Hashish in eight operations in the past year.