Demand for narcotics high, despite coronavirus threat – SLN Commander Vice Admiral De Silva
April 01, 2020· Reveals the SLN has busted an international drug shipment; seizes Rs. 12.5 billion narcotics in high seas
The Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) on 28 March, confiscated approximately a ton of narcotics including 500kgs of crystal methamphetamine (Ice), being transported on a fishing vessel in international waters in the Indian Ocean.
The seizure of the narcotics haul highlights recent successes of the Sri Lankan navy’s deep sea operations enhanced through inclusion of satellite imagery and multi-stakeholder collaboration including international counterparts.
Meanwhile, this also happens to be the largest shipment of narcotics arrested by the Navy.
This was revealed by the SLN Commander Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva during a press briefing held at the Dikowita fishery harbor where the arrested haul of narcotics was displayed, today( April 1).
“The Navy had made advance preparations for this particular operation on receiving a satellite image of a suspected vessel provided by an international agency. The Directorate of Naval Operations with the assistance of SLN intelligence drew the blue prints of this entire operation as the location of the suspected vessel was regularly updated”, he said.
Many SLN vessels were deployed in specific, layered maritime patrol zones throughout the entire operation, where the navy had searched over 125 fishing trawlers and boats during the past few days, Vice Admiral De Silva said.
The suspected vessel was detected approximately 463 nautical miles (835km) off the country's Southern coast.
“The fishing vessel was approached on suspicion, as it had failed to declare its ‘Flag State’ registration, by SLNS ‘Sayura’, an off-shore patrol vessel of the SLN, which was deployed specifically for this operation on March 28, morning. Subsequently, two search teams were deployed to intercept the suspected craft. We had to take additional safety precautions when searching and boarding crew who wore protective gear, to avoid possible transmission of ‘COVID-19’, from suspects onboard in the fishing vessel”, he said.
According to the SLN Chief, the nine crew members, all Pakistan nationals in the vessel, were arrested and are currently under Sri Lanka’s custody.
“While the entire country is battling against the COVID-19 pandemic, this massive haul of drug detection shows that there is a huge demand for narcotics in the island.
Amidst our efforts in supporting the Government and health authorities to control the spreading of coronavirus in Sri Lanka, the navy will continue to play a vital role to support the Government’s ‘war against narcotics’,” Vice Admiral De Silva said.
Spelling out the number of significant detections carried out by the SLN recent past, he said the SLN had arrested a total of 4,418 kilograms of narcotics including ‘Kerala cannabis’, heroin and crystal methamphetamine (ICE) in 2019.
“During the first quarter of 2020, the SLN has confiscated narcotics over 4,000 kilograms,” he said.
In February, the SLN had confiscated a shipment of 400 kilograms of heroin and 100 kilograms of the crystal methamphetamine known as ‘ICE’, during a joint operation conducted along with the Police Narcotics Bureau(PNB).
