OVER 46,000 KGS OF ILLICIT DRUGS SEIZED DURING LAST FIVE YEARS

It was revealed in Parliament yesterday that 46,824 kilos of illicit drugs had been taken into custody during 475,985 raids carried out from 2015 to date. This was revealed by Minister of Irrigation and State Minister of Internal Security, Home Affairs and Disaster Management Chamal Rajapaksa responding to a question raised by Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Chaminda Wijesiri in Parliament.

Minister Rajapaksa said 54,505 people had been arrested on charges of selling and using illicit drugs during the first nine months this year (until September 18).

Explaining the measures taken to prevent the drugs taken into custody from going back to the hands of drug smugglers, he said drug raids and producing seized drugs in court were now carried out jointly by the narcotic officials, CID, STF and police intelligence where as it was earlier done by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) alone.

Responding to a question raised by SJB MP Tissa Attanayake whether it was not possible to destroy the drugs taken into custody within a short period of time to prevent the drugs going back to the hands of drug smugglers, the minister said he would discuss with the Justice Minister to introduce such a mechanism.