A total of 336kg of heroin has been recovered from the foreign vessel intercepted by the Sri Lanka Navy this morning (Sep. 04).
The vessel was taken into custody in the international seas off the southern coast of the island.
In a statement, the Navy revealed that the street value of the contraband is Rs.3,100 million.
Seven crew members who were on board at the time of the interception have also been apprehended along with the narcotic consignment.
The apprehended narcotic smugglers, the foreign vessel and the contraband were brought ashore, to the Colombo Port. Defence Secretary, General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne and Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne have inspected the apprehended haul of narcotics.
They have been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) for further investigations. The identities of the apprehended foreign suspects are yet to be confirmed.
Earlier this week, Sri Lanka Navy Intelligence and State Intelligence Service carried out a similar operation based on information received from a coordinated intelligence operation. This operation made way to take hold of about 290kg and 200g stock of heroin, attempted to be smuggled into the island by sea and apprehension of 05 suspects and the multi-day fishing vessel being used for the illegal act.
Making use of information divulged from the earlier anti-drug operation as well as more intelligence information received by Sri Lanka Police, the subsequent operation was set in motion, deploying the Offshore Patrol Vessels SLNS Gajabahu and SLNS Samudura of Sri Lanka Navy, in international waters.
During this operation, SLNS Samudura managed to intercept the aforementioned suspicious foreign fishing vessel in high seas about 740 nautical miles (about 1370km) south of Sri Lankan shores.
A subsequent search of the suspicious vessel led to the recovery about 336Kg 300g (including the packages) of heroin in 301 packages stashed in the vessel.
It is suspected that this foreign fishing vessel carrying the narcotics was supposed to be stationed by smugglers in international waters to get narcotics transferred and fetch them into the country, under the guise of a vessel engaging in multi-day fishing activities.
Speaking on this occasion, Defence Secretary, General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne expressed his gratitude to the Commanding Officer and crew of SLNS Samudura for seizing this consignment of narcotics, anxiously remaining alert despite rough sea conditions.
Further, on behalf of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Government, the Defence Secretary heaped praise on Commander of the Navy as well as the entire Navy for their praiseworthy effort to bring these drug traffickers who are destroying the future generations of the country, to justice.
He also thanked the Inspector General of Police, Police officers and officers of the Police Narcotic Bureau for their fullest support during this operation.
