Drugs worth more than Rs 19 billion recovered as a result of Yukthiya

By Yohan Perera and Sheain Fernandopulle

In what seemed to be a staggering disclosure, the pioneers of Yukthiya operation revealed that drugs worth Rs 19,075 million had been recovered since its beginning in December 2023.

Pioneers of Yukthiya Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon told journalists that steps would be taken to confiscate assets worth Rs 1425 million belonging to those who engage in drug trafficking and distribution.

“We will start up another round of the operation today (July 4 2024) and our target is to reduce 50 percent of crimes,” IGP Tennakoon said. He said most crimes including thefts, murders and even domestic violence are related to drugs.

Coming up with more disclosures, the IGP said there are 500,000 drug addicts in the country at the moment while there are more than 5978 drug traffickers out of which 5449 have been arrested and held under detention orders. Some 3766 addicts have been sent to rehabilitation centres. “We have managed to apprehend 91 percent of the traffickers,” he said.

“What we aim to do is to break up the supply chain, “We are aiming at apprehending those who send drugs to Sri Lanka, to arrest those who are in charge of supply channels and those who use them,” he added.

“We have handed over files to each police station in the nation which contains details of drug traffickers and sellers. Each OIC has a file on his desk,” he also said.

He also said there is a disturbing trend where local fishermen had made transportation of drugs their main livelihood. This he said because they could earn more by transporting drugs than fishing.

The IGP meanwhile called for the support of religious leaders for rehabilitation of drug addicts saying that is not a job of the police.

Minister Alles also pledged to continue the Yukthiya operation and to eradicate drugs. He said the country would soon see the end of the underworld as well. “We planned this programme during the time IGP Tennakoon was a DIG. We have continued it despite various obstacles. Both myself and my family have received threats since we began Yukthiya. We will not take back the step which we have taken forward,” he said.