Sirisena spearheads war against drugs

President Maithripala Sirisena (2R) walks past seized cocaine prepared to be destroyed under judicial supervision in a suburb of Colombo on April 1, 2019. (Photo AFP)

The centerpiece of President Maithripala Sirisena’s war against drugs and narcotics will take place when the nation takes a pledge to create a ‘Drug Free Country’  this morning.  The main event of taking the ‘April Pledge’ for a Drug Free Country will be held at the Independence Square at 8.30 this morning graced by President Sirisena. President Sirisena takes a personal interest in making Sri Lanka a drug-free country and is determined to achieve this target by 2020.

Since he took over the Ministry of Law and Order in December, he has given specific guidelines and instructions to the law enforcement establishments like the Police Narcotics Bureau, Police STF, Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Customs and the Department Coast Guards to be vigilant at all entry points round the clock, throughout the year in connection with the smuggling in of drugs to the country and also on drug kingpins who distribute drugs to all parts of the country.

As a result, the fight against drugs has been a success and law enforcement officers have been able to apprehend along with the suspects large quantities of drugs during the past three months. Two stocks of cocaine weighing nearly 2 metric tons were destroyed, first in January 2018 and the second disposal was made on Monday with the president himself as a witness. Today’s nationwide pledge is expected to be made by all Parliamentarians, private sector officials, tri-forces personnel, school children and the public led by President Sirisena.

As a result, the fight against drugs has been a success and law enforcement officers have been able to apprehend along with the suspects large quantities of drugs

In fulfillment of President Sirisena’s determination of creating “a drug free country”, the drug prevention programmes have been launched islandwide in three major areas under the leadership and direction of the Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention; functioning under the directive of the President. The three main strategies to free the country of illegal drugs are the formulation of policies and laws and enforcement, treatment and Rehabilitation and prevention.

Tremendous success

The National Drug Prevention Programme has been launched by the Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention in coordination with the relevant Governmental and Non- governmental organisations and this exercise has achieved tremendous success.

The period between 21.01.2019 - 28.01.2019 was designated as “National School Week of Drug Prevention” aimed at raising awareness of students on drug prevention, empowering them against drugs thereby saving them from drug menace and creating a future generation which is attitudinally oriented against the use of drugs.

The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board under the Ministry of Defence with the Presidential Task Force on drug prevention collaboratively launched this report on January 28, 2019, parallel to the “National school week on drug prevention”.

In 2018, according to the reported data of law enforcement agencies, there is a 20 % increase of drug related arrests when compared to the year 2015. From the total percentage of arrests made during the year 2018, 61 % was from Western Province, 10% from North Western Province and 6 % from Southern Province. In the same year, offences relating to smuggling of heroin have increased to 54% and offences due to smuggling and possession of cannabis have increased to 5% when compared with year 2015.

The Law Enforcement Authorities had seized 739 kg of heroin last year, which was the highest quantity of heroin seized during the past 27 years (1991 to 2018). The individuals arrested for drug related offenses in the year 2018 and categorized under Cannabis, Heroin and Methamphetamine are as 54,686 40,998 and 257 respectively. There is a considerable increase in the possession and usage of Methamphetamine in the year 2018.

Law enforcement agencies in Sri Lanka, such as Sri Lanka Police, Police Narcotics Bureau  (PNB), Excise Department of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Sri Lanka Customs and the Security Forces, continue with conducting law enforcement operations islandwide depending on the intelligence gathered efficiently and effectively. Though the efforts are such, a significant increase has been observed in drug related offenses when compared to 2015 and 2018. In 2015, the total number of individuals arrested was 82,482 and this was increased to 98,752 in the year 2018. It was also observed in the year 2018 that the current operations conducted by the law enforcement agencies have made a direct impact on reducing the transactions of illegal drugs at the street vendor levels.

• President Sirisena takes a personal interest in making Sri Lanka a drug-free country
• 40% of the total drug related arrests came from the Colombo district followed by 17% from Gampaha district

Increase of arrests 

As per the statistics, except for the Eastern Province, the drug related arrests have increased in all other provinces in the country when compared when 2018 is compared to 2015. In the year 2018, the total number of individuals arrested has been reported as 98,752, which was a 22% increase, when compared to the previous year. 40% of the total drug related arrests came from the Colombo district followed by 17% from Gampaha district and 7% from Kurunegala district.

Though court cases filed against those accused of having cannabis in their possession had significantly increased in 2018 compared to 2015, the total quantity of cannabis taken into custody has considerably decreased. In 2018, the number of cases filed against suspects for possessing heroin and the quantities seized have considerably increased. A total of 739 kg of heroin has been seized in the year 2018 and it was the largest quantity ever seized.

In 2018, according to the reported data of law enforcement agencies, there is a 20 % increase of drug related arrests when compared to the year 2015

Since 1991.

The foreign nationals arrested in cases of drug related offences are as follows; In 2015 - 26 individuals, in 2016 - 83 individuals, in 2017 - 39 individuals and in 2018 - 42 individuals. Of the arrested foreign nationals, the majority were from India and Pakistan. The services of the rehabilitation centres have been enhanced and new outreach and treatment programmes have been introduced to prevent drug abuse in Sri Lanka. The Government and Non-Governmental organisations are providing residential care treatment and rehabilitation services for drug dependents in Sri Lanka. Drug Dependents (treatment and rehabilitation) Act No. 54 was enacted in 2007 to implement compulsory treatment facilities.

The National Dangerous Drugs Control Board· conducts four residential treatment centres located in Colombo, Kandy, Galle and Nittambuwa and outreach programmes for treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependent persons. The rehabilitation treatments are also being conducted under the Prisoner Diversion Scheme of the Department of Prisons, Designated and private treatment centres including Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Center of Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation. The treatment admissions increased in 2018 by 46% when compared to 2015.

President Sirisena is of the view that with today’s pledge by the nation to make Sri Lanka free of drugs, there will be a new vigour, new initiative and determination among all citizens to put an end to smuggling, trafficking and using of drugs and by end of next year Sri Lanka would be a drug-free country in its true sense.