Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deshabandu Tennakoon, has stressed that measures will be taken to destroy all drugs taken into custody during raids within a very short time period from hereon.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the destruction of over 100 kilograms of heroin today (14 Dec.), on orders of the Colombo High Court, Tennakoon acknowledged the various concerns with regard to the handling of confiscated drugs from raids and otherwise.

“There are allegations that these drugs, in various ways, end up in the hands of drug dealers or drug addicts again. The media has also reported of such incidents”, he said in this regard.

The Acting IGP assures, however, that henceforth, steps will be taken for the swift and immediate destruction of all confiscated drugs.

Meanwhile the Police Media Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa highlighted that, in accordance with the amendments made to the Poison, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act in 2022, the disposal of all seized narcotic substances is authorized once they have undergone examination by the Government Analyst.

He further noted that a gazette notification in this regard, too, has already been issued by the Minister of Justice.

Therefore, SSP Thalduwa indicated that although there are approximately 4,000 kilograms of confiscated narcotics awaiting destruction pending the resolution of their respective court cases, measures are currently underway to destroy an additional 1,000 kilograms of such seized drugs, taken into custody after the amendments made to the Poison, Opium and Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Act in November 2022. 

This is because they are not required to wait until their court cases conclude, he explained.

On 13 December, the Colombo High Court ordered to destroy 107 kilograms of heroin as well as 01 kilogram and 104 grams of another substance, suspected to be heroin, which were taken into custody by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) in 2019.