Massive drug haul at BIA

Yasaratne GAMAGE and Kumarasiri Prasad Airport Corr

The Customs Department Anti Narcotics Bureau at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake yesterday arrested two Iranians with a stock of 1.8 Kg of Methamphetamine (an abusive and harmful artificial drug white in colour and odourless) with an estimated value of Rs 25 million, the largest drug stock seized so far this year.

The duo, from Teheran had brought the stock of Methamphetamine hidden in a modified side pocket of their travelling bag and also in used hair gel and shaving foam cans.

Investigations revealed that the two suspects had been in Sri Lanka on July 20 -22 as well.

Customs Director Nihal Alahakoon said that the particular drug is manufactured artificially in laboratories. Earlier the Customs arrested some passengers with LSD, another artificial drug but recently there has been a trend in smuggling the variety seized yesterday, he added.

Interrogation of the suspects revealed that they had reserved a room in a leading hotel in Anuradhapura with the intention of taking the drug into the hotel room.Deputy Customs Superintendent DDSC Micheal, Assistant Customs Superintendent A T M Wijesooriya led the arresting team.According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant drug with a high potential for abuse. Classified as a Schedule 11 drug which is of very limited medical use it, comes mostly from foreign super labs as well as from illegal laboratories.

The doses prescribed medically are much lower than those typically abused. Methamphetamine like other harmful drugs stimulates brain chemicals to a high level which adversely affects its normal functions.