Sri Lanka Police have stated that more than 9,000 children and youth have been arrested in island-wide drug raids conducted over the past year, from October 30, 2025, to date.
Police Media Spokesperson Assistant Superintendent of Police F. U. Wootler stated that it is particularly concerning that children between the ages of 8 and 14 are also among those arrested.
“As we commemorate World Children’s Day, it is with great sadness that I must state that between October 30, 2025, and yesterday, we had to arrest 9,105 children and youth between the ages of 8 and 21 in connection with various drug-related offences. Of this number, 8,932 were male youths, 173 were young women, and 11 were children between the ages of 8 and 14 who were taken into police custody.”
