Navy seizes over 189kg of heroin and ‘ice’ valued more than Rs. 4.2 billion in southern seas

The Sri Lanka Navy intercepted a local multi-day fishing trawler smuggling approximately 189kg and 246g of methamphetamine (ice) and heroin on the high seas south of Sri Lanka, taking 5 suspects into naval custody.

The trawler, carrying 10 sacks of narcotics and the suspects, was brought to the Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour this morning, 5 November 2026, for further legal and investigative proceedings.

During further examination conducted with the expert assistance of the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB), the consignment was confirmed to contain approximately 132kg and 026g of ‘ice’ packed in 100 parcels and about 57kg and 220g of heroin packed in 52 parcels. The gross street value of the consignment is believed to exceed Rs. 4.2 billion, and the narcotics and the multi-day fishing trawler are to be handed over to the PNB for further legal proceedings.

The consignment was inspected in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd); the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Damian Fernando; the Director General Operations, Rear Admiral Chaminda Karunasena; the Deputy Area Commander Western Naval Area, Commodore Aruna Wijewardena; and a group of senior officers from the Navy and PNB.

Speaking at the occasion, the Deputy Minister of Defence stated that, in parallel with safeguarding national security, the Sri Lanka Navy continuously conducts intensified operations in surrounding waters to disrupt the supply of narcotics under the 'A Nation United' national mission. He noted that a coordinated surveillance operation conducted by the Navy on the high seas had succeeded in intercepting this consignment.

The Deputy Minister emphasized that, under this well-coordinated national mission, the Navy, together with the Coast Guard, armed forces, the Police, the PNB and the Police Special Task Force, has intensified anti-drug operations covering both land and sea areas of the island by sharing intelligence with domestic and foreign agencies, leaving no room for narcotics to be brought into the country.

Noting that the Navy alone seized narcotics with a gross street value exceeding Rs. 75 billion in 2025, and that with new legislation being enacted to curb both drug supply and demand, and with the Government providing facilities and technical equipment to law enforcement agencies, there is no possibility of narcotics entering the country by any means, the Deputy Minister cautioned drug smugglers and those who abet and facilitate them to desist from the evil narcotics trade.

The Deputy Minister expressed his gratitude, on behalf of the Hon. President and the entire public, to the Sri Lanka Navy and all other parties who contributed to the successful conduct of this operation, carried out with great dedication through days of deep-sea surveillance based on intelligence shared with the State Intelligence Service and other intelligence agencies. He also urged the public to provide information to law enforcement agencies via the emergency hotlines 1818 or 1997 to ensure the success of anti-narcotic operations, and appreciated the role played by the media in raising public awareness about the drug menace.

Furthermore, with this operation included, joint operations conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy and the Coast Guard during the one-year period since the launch of the 'A Nation United' national mission in October 2025 have succeeded in seizing narcotics with an estimated gross street value exceeding Rs. 114 billion, while operations conducted so far in 2026 alone have succeeded in seizing narcotics with an estimated gross street value exceeding Rs. 73 billion.