Narcotics smuggling via Palk Strait drives Indo-SL relations to new high

Narcotics trafficking across the Palk Strait is on the rise with Keralagrown cannabis and other drugs entering the country on a large scale, a senior Navy official said.

This has prompted the Indian authorities to launch a fresh effort to stem this trend, Navy spokesman Indika Silva said.

He said the smuggling operation involved both Sri Lankan and Indian fishermen and that, from the start of this year, the Navy had arrested at least 40 suspects including eight Indians, while recovering some 400 kg of Kerala cannabis (ganja) with a street value of some Rs. 60 million.

He said that, last year, some 120 persons were arrested, including 11 Indian nationals, along with 400 kg of the ganja with the same street value. The bulk of the arrests were made on the high seas, while some of the locals were picked up from safe houses on beach locations.

The latest detection was made on Wednesday when four Indian nationals were arrested along with 165 kg of the drug in the seas northwest of Talaimannar, shortly after dusk. The group was picked up by a routine Naval patrol. The dhow and the fishing gear were seized from the group, the spokesman added.

According to the official, the narcotics smugglers pose off as fishermen, with their vessels loaded with fishing gear to mislead Naval pa- trols on both sides of the Palk Strait.

He said that, initial investigations reveal that the Indians deliver the drugs to their Lankan counterparts on the high seas, mainly after dusk.

However, it is also known there have been some beach landings by the Indians in the Kalpitiya and Mannar areas, assisted by the local fishermen who provide them with a safe house. Meanwhile, Indian authorities have set up an exclusive police team to mount surveillance on drug traffickers and contain the smuggling of narcotics to Sri Lanka, according to reports.

The Indian police have, since the start of this year, arrested 36 drug smugglers and registered 24 cases.