Navy seizes foreign fishing vessel with over 250kg of narcotics
The vessel has being brought ashore by the Navy. .
A special operation mounted by the Navy in international waters led to arrest a foreign fishing vessel carrying around 250kg of narcotics, with six suspects aboard on Saturday.
After several days of continuous surveillance in the international waters about 900 nautical miles (about 1,665km) south of Sri Lanka, this operation was carried out by the Sri Lanka Navy with the assistance of the Police Narcotics Bureau, based on information received, the Navy media unit said.
The vessel along with six foreign suspects aboard were escorted ashore by a Sri Lanka Navy ship. It is believed that the 225 packets of narcotics, contained in nine sacks, weigh over 250kg. In recent anti-drug operations conducted by Sri Lanka Navy on high seas a local multiday fishing vessel with 290kg of heroin was seized on August 30, 2021. Similarly, the Navy intercepted two more foreign fishing vessels carrying over 336kg and 170kg stocks of heroin in two separate operations in on September 4 and 10 respectively. In addition to the stock of drug substance seized during the recent operation, the Navy has been able to nab narcotics worth over Rs.13.16 billion, this year alone. The vessel with the foreign nationals aboard will be handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for investigations and legal action.