News
Checks to help contain drugs in schools
View(s):By Chris Kamalendran
An estimated 40,000 students—most from the Western Province—have been found to be users of narcotic drugs and searches of school premises will continue to contain the menace.
A senior police officer of the Narcotics Bureau said the revelation prompted joint surprise checks with education authorities.
“Children are being introduced to drugs in different forms with some being given sweets and toffees laced with drugs,” the police officer said.
He said surveys show that students, on the pretext of attending classes, have gone on to gather at various locations where they use drugs. Some students had stolen money from their parents.
-
- Searching school bags in Batticaloa (above) and (below) in Puttalam. Pix by Deva Adiran and Hiran Priyankara
The availability of mobile phones among students also has been another reason for the rapid spread of narcotics.
Searches of schools began in Batticaloa on Thursday and followed up with checks at a school in the Kalutara District on Friday. Operations will continue.
The National Dangerous Drug Control Board also has been supporting the anti-drug drive.
Education Minister Susil Premajayantha on Thursday said that 81 schoolchildren have been sent into rehabilitation for drug use.
The use of narcotics has spread with the availability of crystal methamphetamine also known as ‘ice’.
Police Narcotics Bureau statistics show that an estimated 500,000 are addicted to various types of drugs and 75% of them are between the age groups of 14 to 30 years. Of them, the majority are schoolchildren. Some students, including undergraduates, are being cared for at the Mental Hospital in Angoda.
The Cabinet recently gave approval for a combined cabinet memorandum by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms and the Minister of Public Security to establish a presidential task force to identify, plan, and implement appropriate practical measures for the prevention of the use of dangerous and narcotic drugs.
Meanwhile, in an operation by
Sri Lanka Navy in coordination with the Police Narcotics Bureau and State Intelligence Service in the high seas off the southern coast, a large haul of heroin and crystal methamphetamine was detected and two local fishing trawlers were detained. The detection was made by SLNS Samudura. A local multi-day fishing trawler was intercepted in the seas off Dondra and more than 200 kilos of heroin and crystal methamphetamine were detected on Thursday. Suspects were arrested.
The navy also detained another local multi-day fishing trawler and six suspects. This vessel had been sent to replenish fuel to the trawler detained earlier.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!