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Lanka used as drug trafficking hub

11 Nov 2011 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Amidst speculation over the alleged involvement of certain politicians in drug trafficking, the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board revealed yesterday that Sri Lanka is being used as a hub by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs to Europe from India and Pakistan.

The Board, in its annual report, said drug traffickers used Colombo and Male as transit points in this case. According to them, heroin seized during the past five years, a heroin variety called brown sugar or south west Asian heroin is mainly smuggled from India and Pakistan. During this period, 58 foreigners have been arrested in Sri Lanka for drug-related offences.

Of them 25 were Pakistanis, four Indians, six Maldivians and five Iranians.

The others were from various other countries. In 2010 alone, 25 foreigners were arrested for the trafficking of 55 kilos of heroin and 3.978 kilos of cocaine. Besides, two Sri Lankans were arrested in India for drug related offences.

The report revealed that traffickers had used a certain chemical called precursor in the manufacture of illicit drugs. Precursor is a chemical normally used in the pharmaceutical industry. However, it is also used to manufacture synthetic narcotics drug. There are different varieties of this chemical called Methaquolone, LSD, MDA/MDMA, Amphetamine, Methamphetamine and Phencyclidine tablets.

A clandestine laboratory that manufactured precursor had been seized in Avissawella in 2008. Last year, 25 kilos of Methamphetamine had been seized. Also, four people had been arrested.

The report said the average street value of heroin was Rs.4.3 million a kilo last year, a 43 per cent increase compared to the previous year. The average price of cannabis had been Rs.12,000 a kilo during the year, and the average price of opium Rs.1.3 million a kilo. The total number of convicted prisoners in 2010 was 31,096. (By Kelum Bandara)

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Lanka used as drug trafficking hub

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