News
Thousands arrested in Sri Lanka’s week-long anti-drug operation
BBC has reported that Police in Sri Lanka have claimed to have arrested almost 15,000 people during a week-long drive against drug traffickers across the country.
The police also say the operation led to the seizure of almost 440kg of various types of narcotics, including heroin.
Local media showed footage of officers using sniffer dogs to search homes in Colombo and other places.
Rights activists said the raids were illegal as they were conducted without search warrants. A police spokesman told the BBC that warrants were not always required to check for drugs.
Officials say that a total of 13,666 suspects were arrested during the operation and that 1,097 addicts have been sent to a military-run rehabilitation centre. Vehicles and property belonging to alleged criminals were also seized.
Activists have said the raids targeted underprivileged neighbourhoods.
According to experts, traffickers are using Sri Lanka as a hub, and the drugs passing through the country – including heroin, hashish and cannabis – are creating serious problems.
Officials say the searches have been paused for Christmas but will resume next week.
Sri Lanka’s biggest drug haul by weight was in December 2016, when police seized 800kg of cocaine.
(BBC)
Accepting deposits from political parties and independent groups who intend to contest the forthcoming Local Authorities Election ended at 12noon today [19].
Deposits were accepted at respective District Secretariats from 3rd March 2025.
The Elections Commission has announced that the deadline for the accepting of nominations for the LA poll is set to conclude at 12:00 noon tomorrow (20).
It has been reported that the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19),
The former IGP had been evading arrest after the Matara Magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest regarding a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel Pelena, Weligama, Matara, in 2023.
The government has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from the Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001.
The principal of the loan had not been repaid until the end of last year. “After we came to power, we demanded that the loan be settled. Then, we discovered that the interest on the loan had not been paid for the past 24 years, and attempts had been made to have the loan written off. We stopped that and are now in the process of recovering the interest of Rs. 1,975,233 on the loan,” Karunaratne said.
Karunaratne added that JLCML was registered as a company with the Registrar of Companies on March 21, 2001. As Chairman of the company, Chandrasena requested a loan of Rs. 10 million on April 19, 2001, for the purpose of purchasing chillies from farmers in 12 farmer colonies in the Mihintale Agrarian Service area.
The request was approved by the Mihintale Agrarian Service Committee on the same day and referred to the Anuradhapura District Agrarian Operations Committee, which approved it on April 23, 2001. However, the Agriculture Development Commissioner General recommended that a loan of Rs. 1.2 million would suffice for this purpose. JLCML took the loan and failed to repay it until the end of last year. When the matter was raised, the principal was paid, and we are now in the process of recovering the interest that was not paid for the past 24 years,” Karunaratne added.
By Saman Indrajith
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