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Big or small, nab them all: PNB hooked on anti-narcotics drive
View(s):While nabbing drug kingpin Wele Suda and locating 26 tractors used to transport heroin in large quantities, Police are also on the trail of small scale heroin dealers and users, with many arrests made this month.
A senior official of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) said that, previously the PNB arrested those in possession in excess of 2 gm, but now, orders have been issued to arrest all including small scale dealers and users, in order to obtain information on drug lords and major traffickers.
A majority of the arrests were made in Colombo city, in Grandpass, Maligawatte and Kompannaveediya, while arrests were also reported from the Wellampitiya, Rajagiriya, Mt Lavinia, Kaduwela, Kalutara, Galle and Matara areas.
This week, a 41-year-old woman was arrested in Orugodawatte with close on 12 gm, while the supplier was nabbed in Veyangoda.
A 42-year-old man from Katubedda was arrested by the Mt Lavinia police for possessing 2 gm of heroin and a 29-year-old man from Dehiwala was arrested with 30 gm in his possession.
Wattala police arrested a 43-year-old man with 2.2 gm of heroin while a 60-year-old man from Enderamulla was arrested with 3 gm of heroin.
A 34-year-old woman from Galle was arrested by the Galle police for possessing 1.15 gm heroin. A 33-year-old resident of Kolonnawa was also arrested with 4 gm of heroin.
A 29-year-old man was arrested by the Kalutara North police with 3 gm of heroin, a 30-year-old man from Maligawatte, with 22.12 gm of heroin, a 32-year-old woman with 3 gm of heroin, are among those recently arrested.
“Senior Police officers are under orders to conduct raids, inspections and arrests. Though notorious drug baron such as Wele Suda was arrested, the drug menace still prevails,” he said.
According to the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), the estimated street level supply of heroin in the country is about 985 kg per annum or nearly 2.7 kg per day. This is sufficient for 45,000 heroin dependants. In 2013, 351 kg of heroin was seized and 23,566 persons arrested. In 2012, only 33.263 kg was seized.
The NDDCB said that heroin related arrests increased by 41% in 2013 over 2012.
Of the arrests made, the majority are from the Western Province with 19,560 persons, followed by the Southern Province with 1,463 arrests and 924 arrests from the Central Province.
According to the PNB, it seized 73.5 kg, of heroin last year.