Navy seizes stock of Kerala cannabis in Northern seas

The Navy seized over 400kg stock of drugs belonging to the category of Kerala cannabis, during a special operation conducted in the sea area between Mandaitivu Island and Kalmunai Point, Jaffna today (03^rd July 2020).

Sri Lanka Navy has been conducting regular operations to prevent illegal drugs being smuggled to the island via sea routes. During a similar operation in the sea area between Mandaitivu Island and Kalmunai Point naval personnel attached to the Northern Naval Command spotted a suspicious dinghy discarding parcels and escaping the scene. Subsequently, the naval personnel managed to recover 12 bags drifting in waters and those bags contained Kerala cannabis in 168 small packages.

The Navy together with the Police STF has already launched an operation to locate the evading vessel and suspects and the Jaffna STF has managed to apprehend one of them in connection to the incident.

During this operation the Navy was able to seize over 400kg of Kerala cannabis. The street value of the stock of cannabis is estimated to be about Rs. 60 million. The stock of cannabis was handed over to the Jaffna STF for onward investigation.

Meanwhile, the Navy has seized over 03 tons of Kerala cannabis along with 141 suspects in 91 naval operations, during the first 06 months of this year. The figure also includes over 2,468kg of Kerala cannabis seized in the Northern Naval Command.

This haul of Kerala cannabis was taken into naval custody by following proper hygiene and decontamination procedures due to COVID – 19 global pandemic.