44 arrested in Anti Narcotics Week raids

Rasika Somarathna

Excise Sleuths during a special detection week to coincide with World Anti-Narcotics day, have bared several rackets involving drug trafficking and illicit liquor sales following the arrest of 44 suspects.

According to Excise sources 12 persons were arrested while being in possession of heroin, while two others have been taken into custody together with a large consignment of cannabis.

In addition 24 others have been nabbed for engaging in the moonshine trade with a large scale illegal brewery too was detected.

The latest raids were carried out on the instructions of Asst. Commissioner(Excise-Galle) D.A.Dayaratne and H.W.Kulatunge and was led by OIC Dheera Gunasekera accompanied by officers, Jayantha De Silva, T.Mendis, K.Jayakody, Viraj Hemapala, S.Kumara and A.Kalyanapriya.

Meanwhile as a result of a stringent approach to busting the Narcotics trade, the authorities have seized 30 Kgs of heroin and 37309 Kg's of Cannabis during 2007.

The total drug related crimes during the period stands at 319 out of which 09 cases ended in death sentences with a further 38 receiving life sentences. So far during 2008 there have been126 cases of which 89 had been completed,with nine ending in death sentences and 15 others given life terms.