A total of 40,590 suspects have been arrested within the first month of the ongoing anti-drug operation ‘Yukthiya’ carried out across the island, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Accordingly, 38,225 suspects were arrested over drugs-related offences. The remaining 2,365 were in the lists wanted suspects sent to various police crimes units, of which 536 suspects had had open arrest warrants against them for drugs-related offences and 1,499 others had open warrants against them for non-drugs related offences.

The Ministry further revealed that of the 38,225 drug offenders arrested, further investigations are underway based on detention orders secured for 1,703 suspects, while 1,867 others were sent to rehabilitation.

It has also been identified that 2,801 individuals who were on the radar of both, the Police Narcotics Bureau and the Police Special Unit, were also amongst those arrested during operation ‘Yukthiya’, from 17 December to 2023 17 January 2024.

The total value of the narcotics seized during the first month of the anti-drug special operation has been calculated at Rs. 4,791 million.

Meanwhile, investigations pertaining to the ownership of illegal assets were launched into 225 arrested suspects, the Ministry stated, adding that the value of the total confiscated properties was calculated at nearly Rs. 725 million.