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LTTE revival connection under investigation over recent Indian drug haul

Published

4 years ago

2022/10/16

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent

EW DELHI, October 15: A Pakistan-based drug lord has come under the scanner for allegedly trying to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka. The funding for it appears to be through the supply and sale of large quantities of heroin in India.The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) recently seized 200kg of heroin worth INR 12 billion off the Kerala coast, allegedly linked to a Pakistan-based drug cartel owned by Haji Salim, Indian officials said.

Salim’s name first surfaced during investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July this year, when the agency said that Salim, along with Sri Lankan drug mafia don C Gunashekharan alias Guna and Pushparajah alias Pookutti Kanna, were pushing illegal drugs and arms into India using the sea route for reviving the LTTE.The agency is also investigating the seizure of arms and the arrest of two youths by the Tamil Nadu police. The accused were inspired by the LTTE, and wanted to wage an armed struggle in Tamil Nadu too, according to the police.

After taking over the probe from the Tamil Nadu police, the NIA claimed to have seized from the arrested youths photographs of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, invoices for the purchase of materials used for manufacturing of illegal firearms, ammunition and explosive substances, seeds for making poison and jungle survival kits.

After the seizure of heroin, the NCB found links to Salim’s drug cartel. “The seized packets had markings and packing specialities unique to Afghan- and Pakistan-based drug cartels. While some of the drug packets had ‘Scorpiaon’ seal markings, the others had ‘dragon’ seal markings. They had water-proof, seven-layered packing.

The drugs were partially meant for Sri Lanka and India, and were being smuggled using an Iranian boat and crew. Six Iranians were arrested and booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, according to the NCB.

According to NCB sources, the drugs were sourced from Afghanistan and transported to Pakistan. They said: “The consignment was then loaded on to the seized vessel off the Pakistan coast in a mid-sea exchange. The vessel then set sail to Indian waters for delivery to another Sri Lankan vessel, but the Sri Lankan vessel could not be tracked.”

“The southern route for trafficking of heroin from Afghanistan to the Markan coast of Iran and Pakistan, and then to various countries in the Indian Ocean, including India, has gained prominence over the last few years,” the NCB said.

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President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority

Published

1 hour ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.

Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.

Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.

(PMD)

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CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

1 hour ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.

Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).

Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.

(PMD)

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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum

Published

3 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.

As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.

The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]