With the detection of many container-loads of heroin being highlighted in recent months, a top Navy officer addressing this week’s International Defence Seminar in Colombo has revealed the full extent of this horrifying crisis.

Rear Admiral Dimuthu C. Gunawardena, the Navy’s North Central Area Commander spoke on the theme of the security challenges faced by an island nation in pursuit of a maritime hub. He said that due to huge profits, drug trafficking had become one of the most lucrative and money spinning means. These profits were used to finance data networks, arms smuggling and trafficking. Due to the proximity to the golden triangle and the golden crescent, Sri Lanka, he warned, was fast becoming a transit point for drugs for the East and also for the West. The Rear Admiral revealed that heroin was routed via Sri Lanka from Pakistan or India on a big scale by sea, in containers and mechanized fishing craft.

According to him this sea­-route takes two forms. One is from Pakistan to Mumbai-facilitated by underworld dons. Then to Tuticorin or Rameshwaram and then to Sri Lanka by sea, or from Pakistan directly to southern India. The money generated from the drugs trade has also been linked to international terrorism. For example, it is a known fact that the LTTE used money raised from drug smuggling to fund its acquisition of weaponry to wage war in Sri Lanka. The wider impact of the drugs trade requires nations to take a holistic and multi-pronged approach to the issue of drug smuggling, which not only affects a nation’s health and domestic security, but can also have serious ramifications on the sovereignty of countries far away. On a positive note Rear Admiral Gunawardena said the Sri Lanka Navy had been successful in apprehending a considerable number of drug traffickers at sea in recent years.

The Daily Mirror in its editorials , news and feature articles has repeatedly warned of the grave consequences of large scale heroin smuggling which may drive tens of thousands of our young people into the slavery of being living corpses. A youth addicted to heroin would need more than Rs. 1000 a day to satisfy the craving.  When the young people run out of money they first steal from their families, even their mothers and fathers. When that also is not enough they resort to stealing from the neighbours and sometimes even killing. This horror goes on until the young person ends up in the mental hospital or commits suicide.

The younger generation is Sri Lanka’s tomorrow. Politically we often hear slogans of a bright future and a better tomorrow for the youth. But independent analysts say high level political protection and patronage are given to big time heroin smugglers and in some instances the politician themselves are alleged to be the local mafia dons. One major question raised by opposition leaders and independent analysts relates to Kumaran Pathmanathan or KP who was earlier  the LTTE’s main international arms procurer while the terrorist group was also known to be heavily involved in heroin smuggling and people trafficking. KP is now being held under high level government protection and opposition critics have expressed grave concern over the role he is playing. Indeed heroin smuggling and large scale addiction could be as devastating as the ruthless terrorism of the LTTE. The government needs to act now and act effectively against the dons before they destroy
Sri Lanka.