About 58kg of Kerala cannabis seized during naval operation

The Navy apprehended 02 persons with a haul of drugs belonging to the category of Kerala cannabis, during a special operation conducted on the Kakarativu Island in Jaffna this morning (19^th June 2020).

Sri Lanka Navy has been conducting regular operations to prevent illegal drugs being smuggled to the island via sea routes. As an extension of this, a special operation was conducted today in the Northern Naval Command. On receipt of information regarding a transfer of drugs from a foreign vessel to a local vessel at the International Maritime Boundary Line, this special operation was carried out on the Kakarativu Island. During the operation, the Navy managed to find about 58kg of drugs belonging to the category of Kerala cannabis hidden in a dinghy. Apart from that 02 suspects in connection to the incident were also taken into custody.

The accused who are 30 and 40 years of age were identified as residents of Sirithoppur in Mannar. The apprehended suspects along with the dinghy and haul of Kerala cannabis were handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau of Jaffna for onward action. Meanwhile, further naval search operations are currently underway in this sea area off the Kakarativu Island.