By Norman Paliahawadane

The Navy has apprehended a foreign fishing vessel carrying over 336 kilos of heroin, along with seven crew members, in international waters, south of the country.

Navy Spokesman Capt. Indika de Silva said that the raid to capture foreign fishing vessels, carrying narcotics, had been carried out based on information provided by the police and Navy intelligence units.

The successful operation led to the seizure of a foreign fishing vessel carrying over 336kg (including the packages) of heroin worth over Rs. 3100 million gross street value.

The drug transferring vessel together with seven foreign nationals aboard was brought to Colombo harbor on Saturday.

A couple of days earlier, Navy Intelligence and State Intelligence Service carried out a similar operation based on information received from a coordinated intelligence operation. That operation made way to detect about 290.2 kilos of heroin, while the consignment was headed to our shores by sea. It also resulted in apprehension of five suspects and the multi-day fishing vessel being used in that smuggling operation.

Making use of information divulged from the earlier anti-drug operation as well as more intelligence information received by the Police, was used in the latest detection by deploying, deploying the Offshore Patrol Vessels SLNS Gajabahu and SLNS Samudura of the Navy in international waters.

During this operation, SLNS Samudura managed to intercept the suspicious foreign fishing vessel in high seas about 740 nautical miles (about 1370km) south of Sri Lankan shores. The subsequent search of the suspicious vessel led to the recovery about 336.3 kilos (including the packages) of heroin in 301 parcels stashed in the vessel.

It is suspected that this foreign fishing vessel carrying the narcotics was supposed to be stationed by smugglers in international waters to get narcotics transferred international shipping vessels and ferry them into the country, under the guise of a vessel engaging in multi-day fishing activities.

The identity of the apprehended foreigners has not yet been confirmed. Onward investigations and legal proceedings into the incident will be carried out by the Navy and the Police Narcotic Bureau.