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Minister orders crackdown on drug traffickers

Minister of Interior John Amaratunga opening a Rehabilitation Centre for Drug Offenders at Boossa on Monday issued a strong directive to all law enforcement officers to nab drug traffickers and kingpins in order to effectively tackle drug abuse.

"The drug menace is one of the gravest threats facing the youth of the country. Taking action against drug users alone would not tackle the problem. I would like to make a fervent appeal to all law enforcement officers to use their full might to nab drug traffickers who are the main cause for spread of this menace," Minister Amaratunga said.

The Minister said they may face political threats in doing so but they have to do it for the sake of the country.

The Boossa Rehabilitation Centre for Drug Offenders has been set up at the former Prison premises and is exclusively set apart for drug offenders who are now in prison. Nearly 400 such offenders, mostly serving less than two years of jail sentences from various prisons have been brought here for rehabilitation.

This is part of a series of programmes launched by State and non-government agencies in connection with the Drug Control Week declared by the Ministry of Interior from June 24 to 30.

Minister Amaratunga said that drug users are not criminals. Drug addiction is a disease and as such keeping drug user offenders with other criminals will have a bad influence on them. It is for this reason that they thought of separating them from other prisoners and launching a programme of rehabilitating them.

Keeping them separately in a better environment will also facilitate religious, voluntary organizations and other agencies interested in tackling drug abuse to meet the inmates and guide them to become useful citizens when they go out.

"Rehabilitating drug users alone would not suffice in tackling the problem. They have to get at the root of the problem which is trafficking and smuggling of dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine. The Government will give the fullest backing to the law enforcement officers in bringing such drug traffickers to book," said the Minister.

Meanwhile, Minister John Amaratunga received several posters printed by The Colombo Plan Secretariat to mark the "International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking" held at the Interior Ministry auditorium yesterday morning.

Minister Amaratunga paid a glowing tribute to the Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme, Director Tay Bian How for his efforts to assist the Ministry to eradicate the drug menace from the country.

The Minister said they have organised a flag day to mark the 'Drug Control Week'. The first flag will be sold to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mrs. Wickremesinghe.

The Interior Minister appealed to all school heads to obtain a copy of these posters and instruct their class teachers to educate students about the danger of using hard drugs. The poster depicts how the body is affected by using hard drugs.

Minister Amaratunga also appealed to the media to give maximum publicity to the drug control week and to educate parents and students about the danger of using the hard drugs.

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