Police officers are keeping a sharp lookout for persons attempting to sell narcotics or narcotics-laced products to schoolchildren, following a string of arrests in the past couple of days based on information that drug peddlers are operating outside schools.
STF officers in search operation for narcotics peddlers in Thotalanga. Pic by Sanka Vidanagama |
“We are targeting the ringleaders behind this racket,” Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sisira Mendis told the Sunday Times. “We have questioned several people and picked up vital information. Since the police crackdown, the drug peddlers are lying low.” DIG Mendis is chief of the Police Narcotics Bureau.
The police operation is focused on “baabul” and “beeda” vendors. These drug dealers mix arecanut and tobacco leaves with sugar, artificial flavouring, chemicals, marijuana extract, and even heroin. Baabul, or arecanut, and beeda, or tobacco leaf (“dhung kola”), are accompaniments to the traditional chew of betel leaf.
Over the past few days the police have conducted a series of raids involving the sale of narcotics to school-going youngsters.
On Wednesday, the Ganemulla Police took in for questioning 12 students who were found to have baabul in their possession. The students, who attend Galahitiya Central College, a leading Gampaha district school, have since been released. Three persons believed to have sold the baabul to the students have been arrested.
Drugs probe focus on Ganemulla school. Pic by Nalin Maligaspe |
Inspector M. Karunaratne, officer in charge at the Ganemulla Police Station, told the Sunday Times that the police are after the kingpins behind the racket. “We have made a few arrests, and investigations are continuing,” Inspector Karunaratne told the Sunday Times. “We have conducted several raids on schools. We are determined to root out this narcotics menace from our area.”
The raids follow last week’s Presidential directive to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. Mahinda Balasuriya, who has instructed the Police Narcotics Bureau and all local police stations to act on drugs peddling and circulation in and around schools.
Last week, a police sting targeted several baabul and beeda supply points in the Slave Island, Wolvendhal and Maligawatte areas.
Acting on a tip-off, the Wolvendhal Police raided a house in Central Colombo on Thursday and seized a stock of baabul and beeda chemicals valued at Rs. 1.8 million. The police also arrested a 23-year-old who is believed to be a distributor of baabul peddled to schoolchildren in the area. The suspect was promptly produced before the Maligakanda Court. The case will be heard on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in a combined operation involving around 1,300 police officers, teams from the Special Task Force, the Police Narcotics Bureau, and local police stations raided premises in Dehiwela and Mt. Lavinia in the early hours of Friday. Police officers converged on a shantytown, known as Badovita, in Aththidiya, at about 3.00 am on Friday in a search operation that lasted nearly seven hours. Sixteen persons were arrested for possessing heroin, hash, marijuana and baabul.
Student taken in for questioning by the police. |
Narcotics Bureau officers are trying to determine whether the arrested persons were working for the notorious “Aththidiye Kudu Janaka”, who is serving time in the Welikada Prison. It is believed that Kudu Janaka’s underworld network continues to operate while the kingpin remains behind bars.
Narcotics sleuths are also collecting information on another notorious underworld figure, identified as Shiran Basik, who is believed to be one of the main suppliers of heroin and baabul.
Basik is believed to be using schoolchildren in slum areas to sell narcotics to their fellow schoolmates.
Basik is also wanted in connection with a number of contract killings.
It is understood that the previously arrested Basik, who was released on bail and is now evading arrest, gets his supplies from a Sri Lanka-based Pakistani national identified as Sideek.
The Police Narcotics Bureau estimates that there are about a dozen gangs trafficking in narcotics in and around Colombo.
Ganja cigars found on female prisoners
Police Narcotics Bureau officers are trying to ascertain whether guards at the Welikada Prison are behind the distribution of narcotics among prisoners.
The police probe follows a raid conducted last Sunday in the female wards of Welikada Prison.
Using sniffer dogs, police officers searched some 600 female prisoners and found 44 marijuana cigars.
Several prisoners and prisons officials have been questioned in this connection.
Kingpins on most wanted list
Several notorious underworld figures are wanted by the police in connection with contract killings, organised crime and trafficking in Class “A” narcotics.
These men are known by their various aliases, such as “Dehiwela Shiran Basik”; “Kalubowila Sunanda”, of the Kalubowila Gewal Seeye Gansiya; “Kirulapona Morine”; “Kirulapona Champi”, alias “Madura”; “Galkisse Ajantha”; “Roxywatte Asanka”, and “Ratmalana Asanka”, alias “Lansiya”. |
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