Three apprehended with cannabis worth over 16 M

Three persons were apprehended and about 49 kgs of Kerala cannabis worth more than Rs. 16 million were found in northern waters today, Navy media said.

The three men who were in a dinghy were arrested during a special search operation carried out off Delft Island in Jaffna.

“During the search of a suspicious dinghy, the Navy managed to seize about 20kg and 900g (wet weight) of Kerala cannabis in 09 packages which had been contained in a sack. Three suspects involved in the racket and the dinghy used for smuggling of illegal drugs were also taken into naval custody,” the Navy said.

In addition, the Navy deployed SLNS Ranavijaya attached to the Northern Naval Command and recovered another sack containing 11 packages of Kerala cannabis weighing about 29 kg adrift in the waters near Delft.

The gross street value of the stock of Kerala cannabis seized in this operation is believed to be over Rs. 16 million.

The apprehended suspects between 25 to 42 years of age are residents of Mandaitivu and Thalayadi in Jaffna. The suspects together with the stock of Kerala cannabis and the dinghy will be handed over to the Delft Police for onward legal action, Navy media said.