Defence Secretary General (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne said today that the effective measures taken by the Ministry of Defence and its affiliated agencies in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Police against drug trafficking has dealt a heavy blow on drug smuggling operations in the country. 

He said such preventive measures have had a huge impact on the society.

Gen. Gunaratne expressed these remarks during a ceremony organized to usher in the dawn of 2023 and the official commencement of work in the new year at the Ministry premises today. 

Expressing gratitude to the armed forces and police for their role in maintaining public safety and continuity of essential services during the recent social unrest, he said that they provided necessary support to prevent the country from becoming politically unstable and anarchic.

He further said that for the creation of a free and peaceful Sri Lanka and with the intervention of the Ministry of Defence and the Sri Lanka Police, operations of extremist groups, underworld gangs and such related activities have been successfully curbed.  

In order to stabilize the economic and social crisis that our country is facing, with the aim of making the national development policy of the government a reality, we must make this year more productive than the previous years and properly discharge our responsibilities as public servants, he said.

State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, Ven. Maha Sanga, Chairperson of Defence Ministry's Seva Vanitha Unit Chithrani Gunaratne, Additional Secretaries, Chief of National Intelligence, senior ministry officials, Military Liaison Officers, senior Tri Forces and Police officers, heads of institutes under the Ministry’s purview and Ministry staffers were present at the occasion.(DSB)