Police crackdown on drug traffickers

Around 3,135 suspects involved in hard drug trafficking were arrested last week by the Police Department special unit to eradicate the drug menace. Four hundred and ninety five High Court cases are pending against these suspects, while over 9,061 grams of hard drugs had been taken into custody by the special unit.

A large quantity of heroin and ganja have also been detected from the Western Province. The special police unit raided 11,622 places in Mount Lavinia, Borella and Kelaniya, Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya said.

The special unit is also conducting investigations on the costal lines to ascertain international links with local hard drug traffickers, the IGP told a media briefing at the Police headquarters on Saturday.

During a raid at the Welikada Women Prison cells, the special police unit found mobile telephones, SIM cards and phone charges among the hard drugs.

This special police team recovered cannabis and babul in pencils used by schoolchildren. “We have setup a special team to arrest the people who sell these items to children near school premises,” the IGP said.

He said a well planned program has been launched to minimize the rate of crime. The special squad had obtained STF assistance to arrest underworld suspects. IGP Balasuriya said the Police Department had set-up the special unit to eradicate the hard drug menace from the country in keeping with Mathata Thitha concept.

Media Centre for National Security Director General Lakshman Hulugalle said on the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, police conducted several raids and arrested a number of persons involved in hard drug trafficking.

Senior DIG K P P Pathirana, DIG Sisira Mendis, Colombo DIG H M D Herath, DIG Asoka Wijetilleke, DIG Anura Senanayake, DIG Mahila Dole, Senior SPs Sarath Baddewela, Ravi Waidyalankara and Police Media Spokesman Prishantha Jayakody also participated at the media conference.

SM