News
Tamil Nadu hub for Pak drug cartels supplying Sri Lanka, says report
Tamil Nadu has become a hub/paradise for Pakistan narcotic cartels to send drugs to Sri-Lanka, says a report published by One India yesterday.
The report filed from New Delhi said: The nabbing of Khader Mohideen and Ibrahim Saha, two international drug smugglers in Hyderabad has only shown the extent of the problem yet again.
While they were nabbed in Hyderabad, the police said that they are residents of Chennai and this once again puts the focus back on the drug menace which has been emanating from Sri Lanka. It has been found on multiple occasions that the drug cartel operating in Sri Lanka is controlled by Pakistan.In November, the Tamil Nadu coastal police arrested a DMK councillor and a former councillor of the same party for attempting to smuggle cocaine worth Rs 360 crore from the Ramanathapuram district. In this case, the investigations found that former DMK councillor, Jainuddin and current councillor of the 19th ward of Rameshwaram, Sarbaz Nawaz had intended to transport the cocaine to Sri Lanka.The above mentioned incidents are not surprising, because this racket has been on for a long time. In 2006, 18,600 Tamil refugees arrived in Rameshwaram Tamil Nadu. All of them were sent to special camps as the agencies doubted that they were linked to the LTTE. The probe also revealed that many of them were drug couriers. In the name of medicines and aid came the drugs, an official tells OneIndia.
These incidents were quite high when the LTTE existed. However since the fall there was a lull and today there is not a single day that passes by when an incident of drug smuggling on the Sri Lanka-Tamil Nadu route is not reported. There has been a spike in the smuggling of ephedrine and cocaine. There has also been a 26 per cent rise in the number of smuggling incidents concerning amphetamine. While these are some of the common drugs being smuggled on this route, there are also many incidents of heroin smuggling as well. The official cited above said that the drug cartels are also smuggling ketamine, pseudoephedrine, LSD and cannabis. TN has always been a transit point: With the civil war in Sri Lanka ending the drug cartels have gone up. While the demand for cocaine is higher in India, in the case of Sri Lanka it is heroin. The drug route has been a preferred one as the border is porous, an Intelligence Bureau official explains. The close proximity between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka is also another reason why the route has become a paradise for drug cartels.The international drug cartel has relied on the fishermen to be their couriers. These fishermen were also used by the LTTE who would source heroin from India and sell it in Sri Lanka. The proceeds were used to fund their activities. Following the fall of the LTTE the model has been replicated by the international drug cartels. The demand for heroin being very high in Sri Lanka has also led to these cartels using the Indian route to reach Sri Lanka. There have been several probes into these incidents. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had found that the drugs are produced in Afghanistan and then smuggled to Pakistan following which it is dropped off in Punjab. From Punjab the drugs are loaded into inter-state trucks and then supplied to the rest of the country. Most of the grade 3 drugs make their way into Ramanathapuram as it is the closest sea link to Sri Lanka.
Public’s interest in the upcoming Provincial Council elections remains low, according to the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL).
PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi told The Island that there was an urgent need to encourage voter participation, noting that a higher voter turnout is essential for a functioning democracy.
Hettiarachchi said that the current level of political campaigning has been relatively subdued, with fewer aggressive or violent activities than seen in previous elections—a trend he described as a positive development.
He, however, stressed that local councils play a vital role in the lives of citizens, from birth- to death-related services, and also contribute to the legislative process. As such, voters must understand their importance and engage in the electoral process.
Despite the peaceful nature of the campaign so far, PAFFREL has received 20 complaints regarding the misuse of state resources and 15 complaints related to physical assaults. Hettiarachchi, however, added that no major incidents have been reported to date.
By Chaminda Silva
A group of 44 diplomats, including those from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Netherlands, India, Myanmar, Palestine, France, New Zealand, Cuba, Egypt, Japan, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Canada and South Korea, headed to Kandy, by train, yesterday morning, to witness the sacred relic exposition.
The group travelled to Kandy in a special observation saloon of a train that departed from the Colombo Fort Railway Station around 7:00 am.
The ‘Sri Dalada Vandanawa’, a special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, commenced yesterday (18), and will continue till 27 April.
President Anura Kumara Disanayake, along with the ambassadors, high commissioners and other diplomats, participated in the inaugural event.
“This initiative aims to convey a message to Sri Lanka’s friendly nations that the country is recovering economically, overcoming previous challenges, and fostering national harmony. The event also seeks to strengthen international support for Sri Lanka,” the PMD said.
Yesterday (18), on the opening day, the public had the opportunity to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm From today (19) onwards, it will open for public veneration, daily from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm.
Police investigations have revealed that the shooting of a 27-year-old man in Ahungalla on Thursday night was a revenge attack. The motive is said to be his failure to carry out a contract killing assigned by a prominent underworld gang leader currently hiding in Dubai.
The 27-year-old victim, who was seriously injured in the attack, is currently receiving treatment at the Balapitiya Hospital. Investigations have further revealed that the attack was ordered by an underworld figure, known as “Abrew,” who is reportedly hiding in Dubai.
It has come to light that Abrew had given the young man a contract to kill a rival. However, since the contract was not carried out, the attack is believed to have been an act of retaliation.On the night of 17 April, around 9:48 pm, the young man received a phone call from an individual who instructed him to come and collect a packet of ice (a term commonly used to refer to crystal meth).
Accordingly, the 27-year-old arrived near the Revatha Primary School, in Balapitiya, Ahungalla in a three-wheeler. At that location, a hired gunman, who had arrived in another three-wheeler, fired three shots at him and fled the scene.
Despite being injured by one of the bullets hitting him, the young man managed to reach the Ahungalla Police Station in the same three-wheeler he had come in. Police officers then arranged for him to be admitted to Balapitiya Hospital for treatment.
By Hemantha Randunu
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